All The Difference
by tinabot
Summary: SEQUEL to Awakenings. Naruhina with fluff and martial arts action. All kinds of other pairings!
1. Chapter 1

_Note: Special thanks again to my readers who have encouraged and inspired me to move forward with this Fanfic with all their feedback. I hope you enjoy this sequel to Awakenings! Sorry in advance if I make mistakes on Japanese usage (never took a Japanese class in my life) all I have are online Japanese English dictionaries, fansubs, and the occasional help from the singer of Random Ninjas!_

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All The Difference 1

Naruto leaned comfortably against the rough, warm bark of the tree as he looked up at the bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds billowing serenely through the spring air. In his right hand he held the hand of another and on his right shoulder rested a head covered in silky, ink-blue hair. He rested his cheek on the smooth texture of the sleek, dark hair. He felt the body leaning against him rise and fall with the steady rhythm of breath. He breathed deeply, inhaling the brisk morning air around him and allowing his body to absorb its coolness before releasing it back out into the world. Every cell in his being seemed to resonate with the peaceful beauty of everything around him and sigh happily in the company of the one he loved.

Tomorrow the two of them would go their separate ways for some time. Naruto was going on a special training trip with Jiraiya. Hinata and her team, Shino and Kiba, had been assigned a mission that would take them away from the village for a week. Since the day they started training together, they've seen each other practically every day for half a year. Being in each others company was like breathing air, so common, so comfortable, so regular, a life source that kept them going. Tomorrow they would have to leave each others side. But that was tomorrow. Today…they had all of today together.

Hinata stood up and dusted off her clothes, then turned around and held her hand out to him. Naruto grabbed it and allowed himself to be pulled up.

"Let's go to the waterfall!"

Naruto smiled down at her cheerful, pale eyes as she pulled him forward. He liked her this way, happy, smiling, at ease. He remembered back to when he barely knew she existed, when she was just that weird girl that was really quiet and always turned red and looked away when he looked at her or talked to her. Mentally he gave himself a big smack in the face. Why had he been so dense? There were times now when he would experience a spurious recall of a memory with her and, in light of what he knew now, he would realize how many of the tell-tale signs of her affections for him had been staring him in the face all along. His smile grew wider as he remembered the chuunin preliminary exams, when she had held out the bottle of medicine and could barely look into his face. He still had the bottle at home in his medicine cabinet. Every morning and evening since she gave it to him, his eyes had glanced upon it in while he brushed his teeth reminding him of that quiet girl in the corner of class. Now she walked beside him bathed in sunlight, framed by the cerulean sky and lush greenery of the forest, her eyes looking forward, clear and unfettered.

Hinata noticed Naruto staring at her and turned to look at him.

"Nani? (What is it?)" she asked with a quizzical tilt of her head.

Naruto's lips pressed together as if he were trying to stifle a laugh, shook his head, and then gave her a toothy smile.

She threw him one more questioning glance before she turned her attention back to the path before them. Soon they could hear the sound of water falling over rocks. The trees grew thicker all around them, their thick foliage allowing only blotches of sunlight to paint the forest floor.

They came upon the waterfall. The area was like a hidden oasis. Sunlight streamed down dancing upon the waters. Many of the large rocks were covered in thick blankets of dark green moss and lichens. Here and there wildflowers of various colors sprouted out of the ground. Bees and butterflies flew, lighting up when they passed from the cool shadow through a stream of light and back to shadow again. The spray of the water created an wraithlike cloud of mist that emanated from the falls and touched lightly upon their cheeks. The steady roar and splash of the falling and flowing water mingled with the occasional birdsong that burst from a nearby tree.

Hinata gasped.

"Kimochi! (Feels great!)"

Naruto breathed in the fragrant and refreshing air. He let go of her hand and hopped towards the water, climbing carefully up onto a large rock, then turning back and held his hand out to her. She smiled and took his hand, and the two of them made their way towards the glimmering, flowing liquid. When they reached the water's edge, they found a flat rock that extended out a bit. Squatting down on it, they dipped their hands into the cool water. From afar, the two looked like two small children playing by the falls. In truth, they were growing as healthy youths should. Each was at least half a head or taller than when they first graduated from the academy, and their faces were stretching out gracefully into what was to become their young adult features.

They took off their shoes and stuck their feet in the water sitting on the edge of the flat rock. Small tadpoles and fish swished by them under the clear surface of the water.

Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out something that was wrapped in a dark cloth.

"Ano…(um…)," he said and Hinata turned away from the sight of the roaring waterfall to look at him, "I…erm…got you a gift."

She smiled as she felt her heart lift.

Carefully, he unwrapped the item slowly, pulling away the black cloth to reveal a dark, granite colored item. It was a small slim kunai that had a long matching chain attached to its end.

Hinata's eyes grew wide. Naruto examined her face furtively. She was looking at the item with an undecipherable look on her face that seemed like a mix of surprise and unpleasantness.

Naruto felt his heart sink a bit as he wondered whether she liked it or not. He picked up the piece.

"It's a special kunai weapon. Here, let me show you how it works," he said anxiously, hoping to save the situation from being an utter flop.

He grabbed her right wrist and began to wind the chain around it.

"See, you put it on like this and keep it hidden under your sleeve and when you need it, whoosh! You can shoot it out and swing it or pull it back if you want…"

He looked at her face as she sort of had a look of despair on her face as she stared down at his gift wrapped around his item. He felt crestfallen. He'd never given anyone a gift like this, so he wasn't sure if he had done something wrong. His thoughts were full of doubts. _Maybe she had wanted something else…like flowers or a ring or something…maybe I should have asked Iruka sensei or someone about this before I bought her this gift…_

He put his right hand behind his head, his elbow sticking out framing the rights side of his head.

"Ahahaha," he laughed nervously, "if you don't like it, it's okay. I can get you something else, ne? (ya?)"

Hinata blinked at him, then realized what had happened.

"Oh, no, I love it!..." Naruto's eyes perked up at the sound of those words.

"It's just…It's just…" she heaved a sigh as she reached her hand behind her.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything!" Naruto said, thinking maybe she just felt bad she didn't have a present for him as well.

"But I did…" she said as she pulled out something wrapped in a black cloth and looked up at him with a look of mild mortification. She pulled the cloth back to reveal the exact same slim kunai with matching chain and looked up at him with wide eyes.

For a moment they both looked down at the weapon in her hand, then their eyes met, and their looks of shock started to transition into amusement and they both began to laugh, the sound of their mirth ringing through the most air.

"I saw it and I thought it was so cool and I thought you would like it," Naruto said still chuckling.

"Watashi mo (me, too)," Hinata smiled. She reached for his right hand and wound the weapon around his wrist the way he had wound the other one around hers.

"Please be careful," Hinata said quietly from under her dark bangs as she finished securing the weapon protectively around his arm.

"You, too," Naruto replied as he pulled his sleeve down over to conceal the weapon. He reached out his right hand and slid his fingers over her left cheek, lifting her face to look into his. Then he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

He pulled her towards him and held her the way he had in the hospital room after her kidnapping. He had never cherished anyone so much in his life.

_

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Note: Aargh! It's too fluffy in here! Must have awesome fight scene next! It's all in my head, I just need to find time to write it all out. Please bear with my schedule if I don't update soon! Thanks for your patience in advance!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I had to rewatch some episodes for this one. Thanks to all my readers, and thanks for all the great feedback. It's really making me reanalyze my writing!If you haven't noticed, I've put Japanese translation in text to facilitate reader processing. I hope that helps, but keep in mind I've only got fan-Japanese skills. I took Chinese in college :P (that was my martial arts movie phase). I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

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All The Difference 2 

The 5th Hokage tapped her pen on the table as the Kurenai's team filed into the room. In came Shino, Kiba, and Hinata prepared to receive the details of their mission. Tsunade has had to make a lot of difficult decisions since she took the position of Hokage of Konoha. Everyday was a new challenge; everyday another ninja of Konoha was risking his or her life for the sake of the village's prosperity and longevity. Everyday Tsunade had to assign them to risk their lives. She looked at the seasoned genins that stood before her. So much promise, so talented, so full of life, but who knew when all that would be suddenly snuffed in an instant. Seeing the young ninjas always reminded her of her little brother. She hated sending the young ones out on missions most of all.

"This is a B rank mission." Her no-nonsense tone betrayed none of the apprehensions she had internally.

Kurenai's eyes grew wide.

"I thought this was just a C rank mission."

"Your assignment is still the same, but it's been leveled up in light of new information we've received. You will still be escorting Hakuta-san to his import/export company located by the ocean, however, we have been hearing of unexplained disappearances and kidnappings in that area. On top of your escort duties, I would like for you to gather whatever information you can about these unexplained events and report them back to me."

The three genin and their sensei gave her nods with serious looks on their faces.

"Keep in mind," Tsunade continued, "we don't know what's behind these events, so it is possible this mission could jump to A-rank depending on what you come across there."

Her forehead furrowed with irritation. She had no choice but to send them on this particular mission. Other more pressing missions needed the attention of their limited number of top rank chuunin and jounin.

The record keeper sitting to her right jotted down the notes of the assignment in the record book.

"Dismissed."

They filed out of the room.

Tsunade put a hand up to her forehead as she tried to fight off the images of her little brother's mangled body.

* * *

As Hinata walked along the path that leads out of Konoha with her teammates, her thoughts wandered back to how worried the 5th Hokage looked. She could tell that Tsunade-sama was trying to cover up her anxieties with her stern voice and rough mannerisms. Hinata wondered what this mission had in store for her. 

"Yoooooohhh!"

Naruto's voice came echoing from behind them. Hinata gasped and swung full around to see Naruto running up the road to catch up with them. He stopped in front of her panting from the dash.

"I thought you had left with Jiraiya-sama early this morning!"

"Yeah, well, that was the scheduled plan. I don't know where Ero Sennin is right now, probably harassing women again."

Naruto gave a disapproving hmph.

"Anyways, it gave me to chance to see you off!"

Naruto gave her a toothy smile.

"Arigato, Naruto!" Hinata smiled back.

"Good luck on your mission! Oh, and here," he pulled out a plain, white envelope and handed it to her.

"See you in a week!" he smiled as he waved.

"See you in a week!" Hinata smiled as she waved to him and walked back to join her teammates.

Naruto waved at the four of them, then turned around and ran back to the Konoha streets yelling, "ERO SENNIN (Pervert Hermit)! WHERE ARE YOU? EROOOO SEEEENNNIIIN!"

After they had met up with Hakuta-san at the gates to Konoha and were on their way, Hinata settled to her usual spot in the team formation, way in the back of the party where her byakuugan was useful for keeping watch behind them. As everyone settled into the journey, Hinata hung back just a little farther than usual and pulled out the envelope that Naruto had given her. Inside she found a photograph that showed her and Naruto sitting side by side against one of the trees they had grown using their clandestine first hokage technique. Naruto had his right arm around Hinata who was smiling shyly up at the camera. Naruto's other arm was stretched out in front as he held the camera up to take the picture. He had his usual, toothy smile. Hinata flipped the picture around, and she blushed as she read the message written sloppily on the back.

_Dear Hinata,_

_I will miss you. Please come home safe. Aishiteru (I love you)._

_Naruto_

Hinata tucked the photo back into its enveloped and put in safely in the pocket on the inside of her jacket.

* * *

It was their second day of traveling with Hakuta-san to his company site. Hinata hung in back as usual. Occasionally, she pulled out the picture and note from Naruto, smiled, blushed, and put it back in her inner pocket. One of these occasions, she sensed movement at the edges of her byakuugan range of sight. Making no drastic moves, she walked along with everyone else as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She allowed her head to tilt forward as if she was getting tired, her blue locks falling forward to cover her eyes a bit. Then she hyper-activated her byakuugan. There they were, about 10 odd ninjas trailing them from a distance. Flashed through her perception was the view of their forehead protectors. Village of the Hidden Mist. Hinata stifled a sigh. She had had enough of ninjas from that village in her last little adventure. They were on either side of her party, silently moving from tree to tree as they followed them. 

She brought one of her hands up to rub her eyes, keeping up with the act of being fatigued so that she could continue to keep her byakuugan at full force without being detected. Hinata watched as the ninjas slowly closed in on them from all sides, readying their weapons, careful not to give themselves away in any form. She could hear Akamaru sniffing the air curiously. By the time they were close enough for the other members of her team to detect them, they would be in attack range all ready.

Hinata steadied her breathing, like her father had taught her. She could finish this quickly without anyone in her party getting hurt. Silently and in the blink of an eye, she formed a large number of the tiny, invisible chakra knives and sent them flying through the forest.

The air was suddenly filled with what sounded like a hundred pieces of metal clinking against each other. Kurenai and the rest of Hinata's team looked up in surprise, instinctively crouching into battle position. Akamaru jumped out of Kiba's jacket and barked menacingly at the forest. The sound of metal against metal was quickly replaced with yells of pain and the thudding of bodies hitting the forest floor. The team braced for attacks, then realized soon enough that they weren't coming as the occasional moan reached their ears.

"Kiba, Shino, go check it out," Kurenai ordered, then looked back at Hinata with a raised eyebrow. The bulging veins and nerves around Hinata's eyes smoothed out.

"Oy! Seven ninjas from the Village of the Hidden Mist are down," Kiba called as he ran back to the group.

"I counted three more on the other side. They're all brandishing weapons. It looks like they were preparing to attack us. They're incapacitated right now. A number of vital tendons for movement have all been slashed," Shino added in.

"Bring them all here."

The three genin bound all of the ninjas and dragged them to the main road. Hinata went around and dressed their wounds.

"Good job Hinata," Kurenai praised, "You saved us all a lot of trouble."

"Ah, it was nothing. I cheated with my byakuugan…"

"Every ninja has their specialty. It's part of their strength. Don't think less of what you accomplish just because you have the byakuugan. It's only a part of your total strength," Kurenai lectured.

"Hai," Hinata agreed with her sensei timidly.

"Dang, it's still really handy to have. Oi, Hinata, save some for the rest of us next time, huh? Jease!" Kiba said as Akamaru jumped into his arms and barked in agreement. Then the little canine whined and gave Kiba a look of distress.

"It's okay, Akamaru, it's hard to follow smell in water."

When they finished up, they left the newly bandaged and tied up ninjas on the side of the main road. Kurenai approached them.

"Who sent you?"

For a moment, they looked up at her bewildered.

"Why did you attack us?" one of the Mist Ninjas asked.

"YOU were going to attack US!" Kiba retorted with emphasis.

Kurenai raised her eyebrows at them for an answer.

"We…" he shook his head as if torid himself of something, "We were traveling through the woods on our way home from a mission…that's the last thing I remember…the next thing I knew, my ankle was cut wide open."

He shook his head again.

"There appears to be some time missing between those two events that I cannot recall. You said we were attacking you?"

"Hinata?" Kurenai asked.

"I saw them following us. They had their weapons drawn and they were closing in on us. They looked like they were attacking."

Kurenai nodded.

"Hakuta-san, do you know of anyone who would be interested in you and your business?"

Hakuta-san in his simple merchant's clothes looked at the pile of injured ninjas thoughtfully.

"Well, my business has only started to pick up recently. Maybe someone is interested in a hostile takeover—literally."

Hakuta-san looked like a simple, mild-mannered man.

"I guess that means we still don't know anything," Shino said.

"Well, whatever jutsu was used on these shinobi was a powerful one. It may be a high level illusory technique that allows ultimate control of the victim. I suppose that only confirms what the 5th Hokage had warned us about. Looks like this mission is upgraded to A level."

"Indeed it has."

All of them turned at the sound of the smooth, clear voice that had interjected their conversation. Even the Mist Ninjas were distracted from their wounds.

Kurenai's eyes were now wide with horror. She recognized the voice, and her recognition was confirmed with the eerie ring of tiny bells that sounded like miniscule wind chimes. The sound sent shivers up her spine, rekindling in her the memory of a terrifying battle that had left one of her comrades with a skinned arm and the other in a coma.

"I'm reminded of why I left my village," roughly snorted a large man with gray skin, beady eyes, and a large weapon wrapped in white bandages hung across his back. On his head he wore a forehead protector marked with the symbol of the Village of the Hidden Mist. Across this metallic symbol was a long horizontal scratch. He gave the tied up, injured ninjas a look of great distaste.

Hoshigaki Kisame, the ex-Mist Ninja, and his companion wore long black robes with large red clouds outlined in white billowing across its black canvas. Both sported large straw hats with white strips of cloth streaming off of its edges.

"ProtectHakuta-san!"

Hinata, Shino, and Kiba immediately jumped into formation around the mild-mannered businessman.

"Hmm, troublesome," Uchiha Itachi sighed coldly.

Kisame pulled out the huge weapon from behind his back and started to lunge towards the three genin and the merchant. Kurenai made to intercept, but suddenly found that Itachi's face had materialized right in front of hers. She had no time to form the seals for her special illusory attacks.

"It wouldn't have worked anyway," Itachi said simply, reading her mind.

Everything went dark. Kurenai lay unconscious on the ground.

Kisame was upon them too fast. Shino, Akamaru, Kiba, and Hinata went flying in all different directions, barely able to comprehend what had happened to them. They lay helpless and unconscious, fallen in a spread out circle around Hakuta-san. Kisame towered over the slight merchant holding his large weapon menacingly pointed up towards the sky. The weapon alone cast a dark shadow over the merchant.

"Come with us," Itachi said in his cold, calculated voice.

BeforeHakuta-san could reply, there was a stirring from one of the Konoha ninjas. She stood up, her blue hair flashing in the sunlight, her right arm clutching her side which had been struck by Kisame's weapon. Her eyes flashed up from under the shadows of her bangs witha clear look of determination.

"Hakuta…san..."

"Oh, this little bug still has some fight in her," Kisame said with a wry, sadistic smile, "My weapon does need a little sharpening…"

The next thing Hinata knew, Kisame's weapon was unraveled and the many tiny blades on the huge bulking weapon were inches away from her.

She flew backwards, the front part of her coat and shirt ripped clear off by the Kisame's shaving weapon revealing the white bandages that were wrapped all around her torso beneath her clothes.

"Eh? No blood?" Kisame said with a raised eyebrow, his puzzlement genuine.

"She created a protective chakra shield where you struck her. It must have been how she avoided your first attack," Itachi analyzed. Three swirling black points danced around the pupil his blood-red iris.

_Sharingan…could this be…Uchiha?_...Hinata was barely able to process what she was seeing. The pain she felt from the two blows were overwhelming her senses. True, she was able to protect herself somewhat with the chakra shield, but the shield wasn't strong enough to negate the force of the blow.

She got slowly to her feet, stood up with great difficulty, her eyes looking up, full of pain but clear nonetheless. She stared at her opponents trying to grasp the situation, trying to figure out what to do next.

Itachi bent down. Something had fluttered in front of him and fallen at his feet. He picked it up. The fingers on his left hand encircled the strips of paper that were on the ground, then raised it with his palm faced up for inspection. His other hand came up and began to place the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. His eyes grew wide. He placed his left hand flat on top of the paper, flipped his hands with the palms together, and lifted his left hand. He looked on the back of the puzzle picture on his hand, and his eyes narrowed in understanding. His gazed came up to look into the eyes of the young ninja that stared defiantly back at him.

"This will be especially unfortunate for you."

Hinata heard the sound of his voice reach her muffled and distorted as if it had traveled through water. She felt nauseous as the world around her seemed to be drenched in red and ooze with the thick, metallic smell of blood. A dark speck was running towards her from the distant horizon. She felt terror build in her chest. The ninja came towards her, face masked, body a blurry, insubstantial figure, sweeping her off her feet and running away with her. She screamed. She saw another figure running towards her, running after her kidnapper. It was her father, then her mother. Suddenly a horde of enemy ninjas rained down upon them. Hinata watched as the blood of her parents rained upwards into the sky. She screamed. She called for them. She screamed. Another figure ran past her in a flash, a ninja carrying her little sister. No, carrying Hanabi's mangled and broken body, her blank eyes staring at Hinata with soulless horror. Hinata screamed. She smashed her elbow into her kidnapper's neck, and it snapped with a sickening sound. She ran back to where she had come from, tears streaming from her eyes.

She stopped in her tracks. In front of her lay the body of a young boy with spiky yellow hair and bright blue eyes. Over his form hung a large red anime with nine tails whipping furiously about behind it. The animal turned and looked at Hinata over its shoulder; its eyes full of anger, hate, and destruction. It was a large red fox with mouth dripping in blood as it chewed on something. Naruto's body was ripped and covered in blood.

Hinata screamed.

And it all started again.

Itachi watched without any visible emotion as Hinata screamed and fell down in a heap, her eyes glazed over as she lost consciousness, staring vacantly up into the sky with her eye lids drooped half closed.

"Why did you waste your tsukuyomi on this little bug?" Kisame wondered with disdain.

Itachi threw his companion a expressionless glance, then focused back on Hinata.

"To catch another one."

Itachi walked over to Hinata, held out one hand, and let the shreds of paper fall like confetti down on her body. Some of the pieces showed flashes of spiky yellow hair, bright blue eyes, pale eyes, blue hair, and the healthy browns and greens of a tree. Other strips showed fragments of words.

_Hina_

_ai (love)_

_Naru_

_home_

_mis_

_saf_

_

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Author's Note: Ch. 3 in the works. Please stay tuned! Hmmm...I feel like some other pairings coming up, but probably not for another two chapters :) Naruto! What are you doing while Hinata's hurt? _


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: A new technique! Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! If you've posted a review, you may have noted my adjustments based on all the feedback. Thanks to everyone who's been following this quantum reality with me! I'm looking forward to see how the actual Naruto story continues in the animated series compared to where this story has gone. Hope you enjoy this new installment! (again, sorry for my weird fan-Japanese :P )_

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All The Difference 3

"OI! Ero Sennin (Pervert Hermit)! Look! LOOK!"

Jiraiya was sprawled across the grass under the tree on his side resting his head on his right hand as he looked with some interest in the direction of his hyper pupil. They had traveled a ways out of the village area, and Jiraiya was taking the opportunity to do some information gathering from the travel towns surrounding Konoha while training his young deshi (student).

"Oh?"

"Look! Just watch okay! PAY ATTENTION!"

Naruto held out his right hand. Seemingly out of thin air a perfect blue sphere of twirling chakra streams formed in his hand, whirling violently within itself but contained and controlled nonetheless.

"Oh, I'm impressed. Your chakra control has improved a lot."

"Wait! WAIT! I'm not done!"

Naruto held out his left hand and another rasengan sphere formed and swirled there as well.

"Oh, pretty good kid, pretty good. Hm…I've been thinking hard about what to teach you next and…"

"Yeah? Yeah? YEAH?" Naruto asked impatiently as the two charged rasengan spheres in his hands dissipated. He hopped over to Jiraiya, both hands clasped in anticipation, blue eyes wide and alert. The corner of Jiraiya's mouth curved up in a wry smile. Even though Naruto was growing taller and sleeker and shedding off some of his baby fat, he still retained the buoyant presence of a five year old awed by every new thing in the world.

"Well, it seems like you've really improved in chakra use and control so I think you're ready for this next technique."

Jiraiya surveyed his surroundings.

"Let's see here, this looks like a good spot."

The area was a small clearing, fairly deserted with few trees growing nearby. They stood near a large rock that protruded out of the wall of earth that made up the side of the hill. Large boulders spotted the terrain about them. Naruto looked on at Jiraiya filled with excitement. For a moment, while Jiraiya was getting his bearings, a thought crossed through Naruto's mind.

_I wish Hinata was here._

His left hand grabbed his right wrist and felt the form of the kunai weapon she had given him under the sleeve of his jacket.

"Okay, here goes."

Jiraiya stood almost lackadaisically with his weight on one foot as if he had stopped to rest for a moment from a relaxing stroll in the forest. A small, thin layer of blue flame surrounded his body which soon grew to a full blown blaze. His chakra started to swirl and form a large sphere around his body that looked like a large, expanded rasengan. Dust, rocks, and other assorted debris were lifted up in the multi-directional currents that flowed all around the legendary ninja. The sphere started to swell and stretch into a cylindrical shape all the while picking up rotational speed. The top of the cylindrical whirlwind widened as the bottom base narrowed forming an upside down cone with Jiraiya standing calmly in the eye of the storm. His clothes and hair flapped pleasantly as if he were in the way of a gentle morning breeze instead of in the middle of murderously powerful winds.

Naruto stared at his teacher, his mouth slightly agape. To his astonishment, he watched as Jiraiya began to saunter over to a nearby boulder, the swirling winds following him as if he were a magnet of some sort for its calm center. As he approached the large, gray stone mass, the edges of whirling shape brushed against the rock's edges.

"Wha—…"

Naruto gasped as the boulder broke up into to pieces, swept up into the wind as if it had been a pile of sand instead of solid rock. The winds winded down and dispersed, leaving only half of the large boulder in place. It looked like a large chunk of it had been scooped out of it with a giant spoon. Jiraiya had the smug, I'm-the-legendary-ninja look on his face as he looked casually over at Naruto and said,

"It's called the rasengufu (helix tornado)."

"Wow! Okay, so what do I do first? What do I do? Tell me!"

Naruto jumped at him impatiently.

"Okay, okay, start by thinking about how you make the rasengan in your hand. Think about the structure of it, the flow of the multiple currents controlled within the perfect sphere. Then expand that…"

Naruto listened to the explanation intently.

"…it may seem like it's out of control, but it's just like the rasengan. It's all about tight control of the chakra."

* * *

The cheerful hum of the city they were visiting was comforting. It reminded Naruto of the time he and Hinata rode every ride at the festival together. The fourth day of their journey outside of Konoha was a beautiful day, and the place was alive and full of people shopping and business owners hawking. This was the same place they had come to almost two years ago, when they had gone off looking for Tsunade. As Naruto went from booth to booth filling his arms with foods and goodies, his mind ran through some of the memories this place stirred in him. The meeting with Itachi and Kisame. Sasuke showing up out of nowhere.

_That bonehead, _Naruto thought. He remembered a talk he had had with Hinata about it. What she had said made a lot of sense.

_When I see that jerk again, I'm going to beat him up, call him a stupid Itachi-wannabe just to make him angry, and then drag him back to Konoha._

Naruto made a gruff sound out loud as if to seal the resolution to carry out that plan, then went back to the task at hand.

He had spent the last three days practicing the rasengufu in the forest. Jiraiya had complimented him on how fast he had picked it up, saying how it had taken the 5th hokage twice the time to get to where Naruto had progressed to so far. Naruto's face had beamed at this. Right now Naruto was able to form the cylindrical shape of chakra propelled winds. The upside down cone, the tornado shape, was proving to be rather tricky. He had wanted to continue training, but when he realized their next destination was this city, he thought maybe he could find something nice to bring back for Hinata. He decided he would look for something for her first, then go back to training.

Each stall was filled to the brim with knick knacks and thingamabobs. Naruto's bright blue eyes scanned each shelf. As he browsed, he munched on a red bean cake that was freshly baked and still warm in his hand. He wished he could share all of the delicious food here with Hinata. Maybe he could bring her here one time. He smiled at the thought, thinking of the fun they would have just wandering around the markets and shops. He would challenge her to every game stall here, especially the gold-fish-catching game which he knew he sucked at and Hinata would have an advantage over him. He would tell her not to go easy on him so that he can get better at the game. Naruto took another satisfied bite out of his bean cake.

A flash of green caught the corner of his eye and then he saw it, the perfect gift for Hinata. He walked over to it and picked it up squeezing his fingers comfortably into its soft substance. It was a large, plush green frog that looked like a larger version of his own froggy wallet minus the metallic lips. Through his mind flashed an image of Hinata holding his froggy wallet.

"_Ah! Gama-chan kawaii desune! (Froggy is so cute!)"_

She had thrown it up and down in her hands, squeezed it, and kissed its froggy eye. He knew this would make her smile. He could all ready see her hugging it with a sweet smile on her face. He pulled out his froggy wallet to pay the vendor.

Naruto walked out of the shop with the froggy-plush tucked safely away in his backpack. He looked around for a place to finish the rest of his food so that he could get back to training. He saw Jiraiya and was about to call out to him when he realized that Jiraiya was talking to a ninja with the Konoha symbol on his forehead protector.

Curious, Naruto started to make his way towards the two. When he came close to them, he realized the two of them had grave expressions on their faces. He became more concerned when the looks on their face didn't change when they saw him coming.

_What's going on?_ Naruto thought as a frown crept across his face.

"Naruto, it's time to go back to Konoha."

"Huh? But why? I'm not done with training yet. Are you done collecting information or something?"

Jiraiya and the Konoha ninja exchanged an unhappy look.

"You can finish your training back home. I need to talk to the 5th Hokage about some of the information I've gathered, and…"

Naruto looked from Jiraiya's face to the ninja's face and back to his teacher again. It wasn't like Ero Sennin to hesitate.

"Your friend Hinata's back from her mission early. She's alive, but badly hurt..."

Jiraiya didn't have a chance to finish. All the purchases that had filled Naruto's arms had fallen to the ground in an unceremonious pile. A fried squid on a stick that had been hanging out of the corner of his mouth fell into the dirt. Without a word, Naruto had dropped everything and run off.

Jiraiya heaved a sigh.

"We'll need to keep a close eye on him."

The two leapt after the disappearing figure of Naruto.

* * *

The hospital room door burst open and Naruto came in panting. He had run without respite all the way to this place the moment he heard the news.

In the room was Hinata's little sister, Hanabi, sitting quietly in a chair by the silent form of her sister on the bed. Her normally expressionless face showed signs of fatigue from worry and loss of sleep.

"Naruto-kun," Hanabi said involuntarily.

"What happened?" Naruto asked as he walked up to the bed side and looked down at the sight of Hinata lying unconscious on the bed. She didn't even look like she was sleeping. She looked lifeless, like she was shut down. Her face held no expression, like a doll waiting to be animated. Keeping himself together and standing upright was all he could do at the moment.

"They brought her back like this. Kurenai sensei, Kiba-kun, and Shino-kun were also injured, but they were minor. Hinata suffered the most for some reason. Tsunade has been coming in for hours at a time to treat her, but nothing's changed. Other than that, I don't know what happened. Father and Mother are off taking care of business, so I'm staying here to watch over Hinata."

Naruto pulled a chair from the wall up to her bed and sat down. For a moment, he just sat there and stared at Hinata in a state of shock.

"Hanabi, you look tired, why don't you go home. I'll stay here with her."

Hanabi stood up and gave her sister another pained look as she spoke.

"I'll let Mother and Father know that you're here with her. They'll be happy to hear that."

Naruto nodded, his eyes still on Hinata's face.

Hanabi excused herself and bowed, leaving Naruto alone with her sister in the silent hospital room.

Outside the sun was setting and the room was bathed in an orange-red glow. The colors gave Naruto the strange sensation that he was in a long-since-passed memory, as if there was a now where Hinata was fine and laughing alongside him and the current sight he saw before him was just a sad memory from the past.

He reached out a hand and brushed his fingers gingerly against her cheek as he tried to keep his chest from bursting open. Reaching his other hand down to his bag on the floor by his feet, he pulled out the froggy-plush he had bought for her just hours earlier and placed in snuggly next to her head. A few tears stole their way silently down his cheeks.

_

* * *

Note: sniff…sniff…poor Naruto. Having a ninjafor a girlfriend is tough. Okay, who's going to tell him that it was Itachi and how's he going to react? Will Naruto use the Rasengufu on Itachi and Kisame? Stay tuned…I'll apologize if it takes me awhile to update because I'm working on a big project right now, but like I said earlier, the story's mostly thought out in my head and just needs to be typed out. I hope you're all enjoying this as much as I am! Matane (laterz)…_


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: Okay, so this is what I do on Saturday nights (aside from starcraft) :P Hope you enjoy the fruits of my procrastination from my real writing (though to remain a good role model, just wanna say I have never turned in an assignment late, and I have pretty good grades :P) I hope I put in enough "man-handling" to satisfy the requests from readers. Enjoy and thank you so much for reading! (reupdated this chapter cuz I realized I made a booboo on the 4th hokage...thanks for letting me know!)_

* * *

All The Difference 4

It was well past midnight and a full moon glowed round and bright outside the hospital room window in a cloudless sky filled with stars. The night was beautiful, but Naruto noticed none of this as he sat, still awake, looking at his koishii (beloved) laying in an unnatural sleep on the bed. He reached out his hand to brush a lock of hair away from her eyes. The room was lit only by twilight as he stared at her. He had been there for hours, unmoving from the spot next to her bed, his gaze going from her face to her bandaged body to the froggy-plush he had put next to her. He slipped his hand into hers and sat still and silent for another long moment.

Though he looked rather calm and peaceful, inside Naruto's spirit and mind were racing with questions and screams.

_WHO could have done this to her? I'll KILL whoever did this! Why isn't she recovering with Tsunade's help? WHY did this happen to her? WHO? I'll DESTROY THEM. Tsunade's the best medical ninja in the world. Why isn't she recovering?_

There were moments when his inner voice changed involuntarily to a rough roar or growl, screaming in a voice not his own. His chest swelled with more than he could handle. Swirling inside was a wild storm of sadness, terror, and a carnal thirst for revenge. Still, Naruto sat and stared at Hinata calm and composed.

_WHO DID THIS TO HER? LET'S KILL THEM! KILL! _

Naruto's heart raced as the anger surged through him, blinking irregularly as he silently attempted to maintain his sanity. Kyuubi's spirit raced. These were feelings it knew well. These were concepts it bellowed out in the mind of this young boy without hesitation.

_Why isn't she recovering? KILL THEM! Why isn't Tsunade's treatments working? FIND THEM! KILL THEM! What happened? Who did this? WHY?_

Naruto shook his head. He felt sick with a strange fever. His face was beginning to drip with sweat. He put a hand up to his forehead. It felt abnormally warm. He looked to the table beside the bed for a tissue to wipe his face and neck. As he reached for the box of tissues, he saw something glisten in the partially opened drawer of the small table. He pulled it fully opened. Inside were the remains of Hinata's clothes. Parts were stained with blood. What was left was folded carefully and put away in the drawer neatly. On top of this pile of cloth were two items: the chain-kunai weapon Naruto had given to Hinata and a small plastic bag full of shreds of paper. Naruto reached into the drawer and picked up the bag. Carefully he pulled out strip after strip of paper and laid it on the bed sheet near Hinata's arm. His hands shook here and there and now and then a muscle twitch or convulsion disturbed his otherwise calm-looking countenance. He pieced together the remains of the photo that he had given to Hinata. He pulled out an identical one out of his pocket and laid it next to hers. He looked at the ripped up picture and the whole one side by side, his eyes focusing in on the image of Hinata, smiling shyly up at the camera with one of his arms wrapped around her back and shoulders. Then his gaze shifted to the Hinata that lay unconscious and shut down in front of him on the bed, bathed in the gray shades of twilight.

_WHO WAS IT?_

Kyubi's scream echoed from deep inside of Naruto's mind. The demon felt the rage that Naruto's soul was drowning in. Red waters splashed angrily against its cage swelling up and choking the fox demon, then pulling away only to come back with another ruthless crash against the cage that held Kyubi inside. The gates creaked against the livid tide.

Naruto tucked the whole photo safely back into his inside jacket pocket. He grabbed the shredded pieces on the bed with his right hand, holding the remains in a tight fist, then flipped it palm up and opened his fingers so that they pointed up towards his face like a malicious animal's claw. The pieces of the photo he had given Hinata lay in his palm, a few pieces dropping out through his fingers. He held it all up to his nose, his eyelids closing down over his blue eyes, and took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the smells that lingered on the shreds of paper.

Both minds raced, sorting through the many smells that were there. Hinata, Kurenai, his own scent…then, faint but definite, he found the trail he was looking for. Naruto breathed out slowly. Flying through his memories, Kyubi and Naruto scanned to connect the scent to a person. Simultaneously, they recognized it. Naruto's eyes suddenly opened, revealing again the horizontally slit black pupil swimming in blood-red iris.

"_Uchiha…Itachi_."

Naruto's voice came out intricately harmonized with the deep growl of the Kyubi. It all fell into place. Akatsuki wanted Naruto. Hinata was hurt because of him. Hinata was hurt because she was connected to Naruto. They were trying to get to him through her.

He let his hand drop to his side, the pieces of paper snowing lazily down to the hospital room floor. He stood up and looked one last time down at Hinata's expressionless face. He brushed his fingers gently against her cheek, his murderous eyes betraying a look of tender sadness. Then he left the room out through the hospital window, carefully sliding it closed behind him.

* * *

With both of his hands in his pocket, Naruto walked slowly through the forest on the outskirts of Konoha towards the gate that led out of his home village. It was the same path Sasuke took when he left the village. A memory of his friend floated through his consciousness.

Behind a tree near Naruto's path was Nara Shikamaru, currently the only chuunin out of the rookies nine that graduated with Naruto out of the academy. His eyes narrowed a bit in irritation.

_Man, this is troublesome,_ he thought as he planned out his next move. The trees threw dark pools of shadows all over the path Naruto was walking on. Shikamaru's hands came together as he formed the seal for the Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Copy Technique). His shadow stretched out through the many shadows of the night and reached Naruto's figure. Nartuo stopped walking and stood frozen in place.

Shikamaru raised his hand up, a small flare gun in his hand, and was about to signal to the ninjas on guard that night to come and detain Naruto.

"Gomen, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru's eyes grew wide. Naruto's voice came from behind him. He looked at the Naruto he thought he had stopped in his tracks. There was nothing there but a stump of wood. The next thing Shikamaru knew was Naruto's hand striking him from behind, then darkness.

* * *

Deep in a dense forest walked two dark figures covered in long coats with red clouds billowing across their fabric. On their heads were large, wide, circular straw hats. The thick foliage above them blocked out all possible sunlight; it was difficult to tell whether it was day or night. An eerie, deceptively benign bell sound echoed through the forest as the two stopped in their tracks.

Out of the dark depths of the forest came the sound of footsteps crunching down on the crackling remains of dead leaves and fallen twigs on the forest floor. The crunching steps came closer and closer to them. They turned.

Into their line of site stepped a youth with spiky yellow hair exploding out over the metallic insignia of Konoha. With a shadow over his eyes and hands in pockets, Naruto stopped about 5 yards away from the two deadly Akatsuki members that had been assigned to kidnap him.

"Came to get revenge for your little girlfriend, huh? Pathetically predictable," Hoshigaki Kisame spat.

Naruto stood unmoving and gave no response to Kisame's taunts, his eyes still hidden in shadow.

"Oi, kozou, (kid), you know you just took the bait for our trap, right?"

Itachi and Kisame looked at each other. Itachi nodded.

A blur of gray, black, and red shot towards Naruto as Kisame attacked brandishing his unwrapped Samehada ("shark skin" sword). Naruto looked like he had lost all the height that he had grown in the last few years as Kisame's towering frame lunged toward him. The Samehada hit Naruto from the side, ripping off the sleeve of his jacket and skinning this right arm. Naruto's body flew through the damp air and slammed against the trunk of one of the large trees with a sickening thud. Kisame walked over to Naruto's crumpled form at the foot of the tree. He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up into the sky up above him. Naruto hung limp in Kisame's grip, his feet dangling a couple of yards away from the ground.

"Hey, how's about I take off your legs like I talked about last time, huh, kozou (kid)?"

He flung Naruto at another tree across the clearing. Naruto flew against it upside down, his back thumping against the wood, his body bouncing off of its surface splattering some of the blood from his arm onto the vines that had crawled their way up the tree trunk. He fell faced down on the ground, blood leaking out and mingling with the dirt and humus on the forest floor.

Kisame looked at Itachi and shrugged his shoulders. Itachi walked up to Naruto next. Without uttering a single word, he grabbed the fabric at the nape of Naruto's neck and pulled him up. Naruto hung limp, his head lolling in an enervated state. He didn't look up to meet Itachi's examining stare.

Itachi threw Naruto up into the air, the seemingly spiritless body of the youth flying up high, nearing the thick canvas of the treetops. Itachi shot up after Naruto with an uppercut that jammed into Naruto's side as his body was falling, sending it flying up a few more yards. Then, as Naruto's body was again making a descent to the ground, Itachi's foot tapped lightly on a nearby branch sending him up towards Naruto's falling form. Itachi bent his upper torso forward, torquing his body to flip forward, the robes of his black coat flowing along with the flipping motion. The back of Itachi's right ankle came slamming down on Naruto's stomach in a powerful axe kick that sent the youth flying down towards the forest floor. Naruto hit the ground with another sickly thud, mud, roots, and decaying matter flew everywhere upon his impact, making a dent in the forest floor.

Itachi landed lightly on the ground next Naruto's immobile form. He stared down at him with his sharingan eyes, the three black dots swirling menacingly in his blood red iris. The straw hat that had been on Itachi's head floated to the ground beside him, twirling like a spinning sunflower. He reached down and grabbed Naruto again by nape of the neck and flung him against the closest tree. Naruto's back hit the tree, and then he slid down the tree and ended up in an upright sitting position with his back against the ribbed surface at foot of the tree. Naruto sat with his head hanging forward, blood dripping off of his right arm, a shadow still cast over his eyes.

Itachi stared at him, analyzing, strategizing his next step. Kisame stood a ways to the side, waiting to see what would happen.

"I've learned some pretty cool things these past few months…"

Naruto's voice came out unexpectedly. Kisame's eyes widened a bit in surprise at the sound of young boy's voice, calm and seemingly unphased by the beating he just went through.

"…so I don't feel like showing those moves to a sharingan user so easily."

The corner of Naruto's mouth curled up in a cruel smile. He lifted his head, and as the shadow over his eyes faded, he opened his eyes opened to reveal the deadly gaze of the Kyubi.

Itachi stood, equally unphased.

"So desu ne (I see)," he said with minimal emotion.

For a long moment, Naruto and Itachi stared at each other without blinking. Itachi's face was expressionless and partly hidden behind the collar of his large coat. In contrast, Naruto maintained the wry, cruel smile and the hateful demon's gaze. An unearthly deep, growling voice filled the air mingled with the voice of a young human boy. It laughed. Naruto's formed leaned back against the tree as his body convulsed from the chuckling.

"_You think you can use your little mind technique on me?"_

The unholy union of voices laughed some more.

"_Did you think you were actually going to torture a demon? I'm a DEMON. Torture is MY expertise! Petulant human!"_

Kisame then realized what had been happening. Itachi had been executing his Tsukuyomi on Naruto, the same sharingan-specific technique that he had used to psychologically torture his little brother Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi, and the young Konoha ninja a few days ago. Apparently, Itachi had tried to quickly incapacitate Naruto for more convenient transport to the Akatsuki headquarters. Kisame's jaw dropped. The Tsukuyomi…failed? This was bad. The punk kid has apparently grown faster than what they had calculated would be his rate of progress. He was quickly passing a threshold point. They needed to contain him now and take him back to the Akatsuki.

Naruto chuckled some more as he pulled out a small kunai and twirled it around his finger. The sound of the metal whizzing through the air taunted the two Akatsuki members with its simplicity.

"_You know, I was just thinking of trying out my new moves anyways, since you won't be alive afterwards, you wouldn't be able to copy it with that sharingan of yours."_

The kunai continued to twirl.

"_But I thought, what's the fun in finishing you off so quickly?"_

Itachi saw a flashing image of the Naruto's face inches away from his, a blur of yellow in his field of vision. For one of the few times in his life, Itachi had a genuine look of surprise on his face. His left cheek suddenly split open and a nasty gash revealed itself, sprays of red staining his skin and clothing.

Naruto chuckled menacingly, enjoying every moment.

The last time Itachi saw that level of speed, a speed that even he couldn't match, was the 4th hokage. He turned to look at the back of Naruto's spiky yellow head. Naruto truly was the legacy of the 4th.

Blurs of yellow streaked across the area where Kisame and Itachi stood. They moved, streaking black and red through the air as well to dodge the attacks that rained upon them from every direction.

"_That's right, kozou (kid), this is the way to do it!"_

Kyubi stopped for a moment to survey its work. Naruto chuckled eerily. Kisame and Itachi stood, each of them had a free hand over their largest wound, one of many that had just been inflicted upon them. Their coats had a series of slashes through them. Blood was seeping out of cuts all over their bodies.

"Kisame, we must go, now."

"But the boy must be contained now or…"

"We must go now."

"_Don't run away now! I'm just getting started!"_

Naruto threw the kunai he had in his mouth away and it embedded itself in a large root protruding out of the ground. He held out his right hand and a long thin kunai slid into his fingers with a chain attached to it. He began to swing the slight weapon around by its chain.

"_This one is a special delivery from Hinata…"_

Naruto resumed his eerie chuckling. The two figures of the Akatsuki members seemed to dissipate into thin air. Naruto laughed, hysteria playing on the corners of his eyes, madness distorting his features, the gate inside him that held the Kyubi prisoner creaking under the pressure of the raging red waters…

"_Cowards!"_

He let out a full laugh as he made to run after them when his right hand grabbed hold of the small kunai and jammed the long blade into his thigh. He fell over, face grinding against the pebbles on the ground.

"No."

Naruto's own voice slipped out of his mouth, unadulterated by Kyubi.

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!_

Kyubi's voice pounded in his head.

"No, not like this."

_Not like WHAT? _

"I don't want to be like this. I don't want to kill like this."

_YOU'RE A NINJA! NINJAS KILL! IT'S PART OF YOUR JOB!_

"Not like this."

_YOU'LL PROBABLY KILL HIM SOMETIME, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL FINISH THE JOB NOW!_

"Not like this."

_WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?_

Naruto pulled the kunai out of his leg, the pain shooting through his body, and as he drifted into darkness, he heard echoing in the corners of his mind the eerie chuckling he had emitted earlier, a twisted laugh that mirrored Sasuke's perverse laugh when he released the cursed seal of Orochimaru.

_

* * *

Note: Hinata! Get better soon! Naruto needs you! Will update as soon as I can!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: Um, somehow my notes on neuroscience ended up like this. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

All the Difference 5 

_Kawaisou (poor thing)._

Sakura stared down at Hinata's unmoving form. Tsunade-sama had just gone through another session of treating Hinata, but no apparent progress was being made. The 5th heaved a sigh.

"The psychological attack seems to have affected her more than Sasuke and Kakashi. It must be a combination of her sensitive personality and the perceptiveness of the byakuuga that allowed the attack to go this deep. "

"What does the byakuugan have to do with psychological attacks, Tsunade-sama?"

"Well, the byakuugan allows for more perceptiveness, heightened ability to notice and analyze surroundings. This is continuous, occurs even when the byakuugan isn't hyper activated. Thus the psychological attack has an amplified effect on people of this bloodline limit. Hinata's timidness isn't helping either. It's like she's holed herself up in a deep cave somewhere and I can't find her. This isn't good. I don't know how much longer her body can survive like this, even with our treatments here. This isn't a normal coma."

The two of them stared at Hinata, eyebrows furrowed with worry. Simultaneously, they looked at the green froggy plush that had been placed with care next to her head.

_Naruto…_Sakura thought of all the times Naruto had given everything for her sake. All the times she had taken him for granted in return.

"Tsunade-sama, may I have permission to treat her?"

The 5th looked at her young apprentice, her eyes wide at first in surprise, then softened at the look of determination in Sakura's eyes.

"Well, I do need to go take care of some business at the main office," Tsunade said, the corner of her mouth curving up into a partial smile. "Sure, just remember everything I've been teaching you these past few days about psychological healing."

"Hai!" Sakura said with a resolute nod of her head.

"All right then, ganbatte (), Sakura-chan," Tsunade smiled as she headed out of the room. _This just might work_, she thought to herself. _Sakura's got a strong inner self and Hinata may respond better to her since they're peers._

Sakura took one more look at the green plush next to Hinata's head. Then, she took her seat next to Hinata's bed, put the tips of her fingers on Hinata's forehead, and went to work.

_Naruto…this one's for you._

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened groggily, a haze surrounding his range of vision. He heard the crackling noise of a fire burning to his right. He was lying on the ground, and turned his face to the right to look at the bright flames waving warmly on its wooden fuel. He squinted his eyes in the light. Through the flames he saw the vision of a young boy, with black hair spiking out behind him. The boy say with his elbows on his knees, his fingers linked together and pensively placed in front of his mouth covering the bottom half of his face. Naruto made out a dark blue shirt and white shorts, then dark eyes with a glassy reflection of the flames dancing within them. 

"Sasuke…"

The figure didn't move and continued to stare intently at him.

"Sasuke…you jerk, get out of my dream."

"Bakka , I'm not in your dream."

Naruto sat up suddenly and looked around wildly. Kisame…Itachi…his arm, his legs, all his injuries healed. And…Sasuke.

The next thing Sasuke knew, Naruto's fist was smashing up against his cheek sending him flying backwards a few yards. He sat up and wiped his cheek. Naruto was on him, pulling him up by the collar.

"I'm not interested in fighting you anymore," Sasuke said without much emotion.

"Oh yeah? Punk! Well, who said I was interested in fighting a loser like you? I just feel like hitting you because you're an idiot!" He said and he smashed another fist at his friend. Sasuke's hand came up and stopped the punch cold.

"I've all ready beaten you. There's no point in fighting you anymore."

Naruto's head came forward and smashed into Sasuke's forehead then pushed him back. Sasuke put one hand up to his aching head.

"Who said you won last time? I was aiming to scratch your forehead protector and I did."

"You were the one knocked unconscious."

"Well, duh, because I was aiming for your forehead protector. If I was aiming to make you unconscious, then you would have been the one unconscious! Idiot!"

"Whatever. However you paint it, it's obvious I won that fight."

"You just keep telling yourself that, you coward!"

Naruto lunged at him again. The two exchanged blows, throwing kicks and punches and blocking each others attacks in a steady rhythm that looked much like a choreographed dance. Their figures flew from tree trunk to tree trunk, branch to branch, as they criss-crossed the area around the campfire. No punches were pulled, they were going all out on each other.

They fell back for a moment, breathing heavily from their fight.

"Look, Naruto, I don't have time for this. I saw your shredded jacket arm. That's got to be Hoshigaki Kisame's weapon from what I've gathered. I've been tracking Itachi and found you here. I need you to tell me which direction they went."

"NO! I'm not going to help you with your selfish little revenge thingy."

"Don't make me beat it out of you!"

"You WON'T!" Naruto gave him an angry, defiant look.

They resumed their rhythm of steady exchanges, neither one of them resorting to anything but purely physical attacks.

"That's ENOUGH!" Sasuke said as he jumped a ways up away from Naruto.

"I don't have time…" Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Naruto's figure blur.

"Fine, go and play puppet to that stupid, selfish brother of yours!" Naruto's voice trembled with anger behind Sasuke, then he smashed his foot down on his friend's back and sent him flying towards the ground with such speed that Sasuke had little time to recover from the blow and landed face down into the dirt and decay of the forest floor.

_What's with this speed?_

He got up and wiped his face. Naruto landed lightly nearby. In his mind's eye, he remembered the vision of Hinata on the day before she went on her mission, the thoughtful look on her face when they had talked about Naruto's frustrations with Sasuke, the things she had said that made Naruto more angry at Sasuke than ever before…

"You're an idiot Sasuke. All you're doing is following in your brother's footsteps and you're going to turn out just like him, an idiot who thinks of nothing and no one but himself."

"Shut up."

In his mind, Sasuke heard his brother's voice. _To find out what I'm capable of_. That was the answer he had given when Sasuke asked him why he had murdered the Uchiha clan, murdered their mother and father.

"You're going to grow up just like him. A murderer and traitor to family and village."

"I said shut up."

In his mind, Sasuke heard his father's voice. _Don't take the path your brother took._

"I'M NOTHING LIKE HIM!"

Sasuke screamed, more at himself than at Naruto.

"Sasuke, I know now what it's like to lose someone important to you. Your brother might have killed the most important person to me. She might die from whatever it is he did to her."

Sasuke's teeth gritted in shock. _Sakura-chan…_

"You keep going the way you're going, you won't avenge your family. You'll destroy everything the Uchiha clan was about. You'll taint and end your family name, and, when Orochimaru takes over your body, you'll come back and massacre Konoha in a way that would make your brother's murder of the Uchiha clan look like a walk in the park."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide at Naruto's words.

"I know I can't force you to come back…"

Naruto turned his back on his friend, hiding the hurt that was beginning to creep across his blue eyes. He tried to mask the trembling in his voice with anger.

"You want to magnify the consequences of your brother's actions? Fine! You want to be a selfish jerk like Itachi! Fine! Go on your little revenge adventure!"

Then, he turned and gave Sasuke a look that burned into his friend's memory forever.

"But if you come back as Orochimaru's puppet to destroy our home, our friends, our family…I'm going to protect Konoha no matter what it costs!...Even if I have to kill you!"

Naruto turned, hiding the tears that burned in his eyes, and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Sasuke stood, staring at the spot in the darkness where Naruto's form had evaporated into the darkness.

* * *

Sakura wandered through the forest. It was thick and never ending. The shadows beneath the trees seemed to have scared away any sunlight. She heard it, it was extremely faint, but she could hear it. The sound of a small girl crying. 

"Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan? Where are you? It's me, Sakura-chan."

Sakura spoke in a kind, gentle voice, calling out to Hinata. She'd been at this for hours, traveling through this dark, unending forest. It was only just now that she heard the faint crying. She quickened her pace. The crying seemed to echo everywhere in the forest, coming from everywhere and no where at the same time.

"Hinata-chan? It's okay, it's me Sakura-chan. Please, talk to me Hinata-chan."

Her own voice seemed to have its own echoes, bouncing back at her as if she were in a cave. The forest went on forever. Sakura bit her lower lip. She wasn't going to give up. She was determined to finish this, for Hinata's sake and for Naruto's sake.

A new sound seemed to echo in from afar. The sound of water. She went towards it.

"Hinata-chan?"

She came upon a stream that seemed to glow like moonlight. The crying seemed to echo loudest from the waters of the stream itself. Sakura followed the path upstream that wove through the forest like a silver thread.

"Hinata-chan. It's okay, it's just me, Sakura-chan. I'm here to help you."

She came to a small respite in the dense forest. The stream was falling down over the side of a large boulder creating a small waterfall. The sound of the slight roaring at the bottom of this waterfall was slow and steady.

"Hinata-chan? Are you here?"

Sakura could hear the crying loud and clear now, distinctly coming from the waterfall. It was so full of sadness; it was heartbreaking to listen to. Sakura stepped tenderly as she made her way slowly to the waterfall. She addressed it carefully.

"Hinata-chan, please come out. I'm here to help you. Please come out. You need to come out so that you can get better."

The crying ensued, the image of the water fall and stream started to waver.

"No, Hinata-chan, don't go. Tell me what's wrong? What happened?"

"Everyone, everyone's gone." The voice that came from the waterfall was that of a tiny girl.

"Who's gone?"

"Everyone, Mother, Father, Hanabi, Naruto…they're all gone. They're dead."

The whimpering came timidly, and the crying started again.

"Hinata-chan, they're all okay. Everyone's alive, and they're worried about you. Waiting for you to come out."

Sniffling and hiccups came in response.

"No, I saw them die, they're all gone. I'm all alone. I've lost everyone."

"Hinata-chan, that's not true. Everyone's alive. You're Father, Mother, Hanabi, and even Naruto."

"But I saw…I saw…" a few grief-filled sobs finished the sentence.

"It was just an illusion, Hinata-chan. Believe me, they're all alive and everyone's very worried about you. Everyone misses you."

Sakura took a deep breath.

"Naruto misses you so much. He's so worried. Please come out with me and show him that you're okay. Everyone's alive and they miss you."

Out from behind the steadily flowing waters popped a tiny head of ink-blue hair with tiny, pale eyes to match.

"Hinata-chan? Come on, let's go back and see everyone. Everyone's worried about you."

The chibi Hinata walked out from behind the waterfall, sniffling, rubbing her eyes, and hiccupping. She wore a small, lavender-pink kimono with purple sash wrapped around her torso.

"See? I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to take you back to everyone."

Sakura held out her hand. Chibi Hinata walked slowly and shyly over to her.

"Promise?" Her baby voice asked with an ounce of hope.

Sakura gave her a warm, reassuring smile.

"Promise."

Chibi Hinata put her hand in Sakura's and they began to walk away from the waterfall which dissolved behind them along with the starlight stream and the dark, thick forest.

Hinata opened her eyes.

"Sakura-chan…" she said weakly, "what happened…?"

"Shhhh, you shouldn't exert yourself too much," Sakura said kindly, looking thoroughly exhausted but thoroughly happy at the same time.

"You received some kind of psychological attack from Uchiha Itachi. You're going to be okay now."

"Naruto…" Hinata said in a weak whisper as if breathing were difficult for her.

Sakura picked up the green plush froggy and put it in Hinata's line of sight. The large black eyes of the froggy stared down at Hinata, its tongue sticking out as if in jest. Hinata smiled.

"He was so upset over what happened to you he went somewhere. We don't know where, but I'm sure he'll come back soon, especially now that you're going to be okay."

"Naruto went…?"

"They've sent Aburame Shino to track him down. Shino-kun placed a tracking bug on Naruto without Naruto knowing so they should be able to find him soon."

Sakura tucked the frog plush securely under one of Hinata's arms.

"He'll be so happy to see that you're okay."

She gave Hinata a cheerful but tired smile.

"You should rest so that you can be all nice and healthy when Naruto gets back. I'm going go tell the nurse to notify your family and Tsunade-sama that you're okay now."

"Sakura-chan," Hinata turned to give her a weak smile as she held the froggy plush under her arm, "arigato."

Sakura smiled warmly again.

"Seeing Naruto's face when he sees you're okay will be all the thanks I need."

_

* * *

Note: Okay! Hm, so as you can see, we've possibly got the beginnings of a new pairing coming up here, eh? I appreciate everyone's feedback in terms of info on Naruto! I only know what I can find online and the episodes all the way up to the Naru Sasu fight. Thanks for filling me in on stuff! Oi, so where's my neuroscience book again…o O ? _


	6. Chapter 6

_Note: Thanks to everyone for the suggestions for manga sites :)! I've been checking each site! I read this interview with Masashi Kishimoto (sorry, forgot which site it was...I surfed around a lot) and the guy is even entertaining in his response to interview questions! I guess it's no surprise coming from the brilliant creator of Naruto! I've been thinking about what other animes I might enjoy doing a fanfic on, and gosh, it is rare to find one with the rich creative parameters that Naruto has. All of the feedback has, as usual, been inspiring and motivating me to write more. Thanks everyone for reading!_

* * *

All the Difference 6

The sky was just changing from a dark blackness of night to a navy blue as sunrise approached above the path Naruto walked on, the path back home to Konoha.

_Why didn't you just kill him?_

Kyubi had been asking him variations of this same question since the encounter with Itachi.

_It's a ninja's job to kill._

Kyubi insisted again.

"I know," Naruto replied sadly.

_So why didn't you kill?_

"Not like that."

The young Naruto walked on, continuing to show Kyubi the path of the ninja, his way of the ninja, one step at a time…back to Konoha.

Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stood there in silence, his hands tucked away in his pockets, surrounded by a world awash in shades of blue. Behind him was the slow and steady shuffling of footsteps. A figure approached him from behind, hands in the pockets of his white shorts, the symbol of a red fan, the proud family symbol adopted by the police force of Konoha, on the back of his blue shirt. The newcomer strolled up the path in Naruto's direction.

Sasuke walked past Naruto without a word, moving a few yards ahead of him so that Naruto was afforded a full view of the Uchiha clan symbol. Slowly the sky began to whiten with the sunlight of a new day. Sasuke stopped. Naruto resumed walking and as he passed his friend, Sasuke resumed walking as well, falling in step with his yellow-haired companion.

The two walked down the path together, the sound of their shuffling foot steps steadily overlapping each other as they made their way home.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay being out here?" Sakura asked in a concerned voice.

"Yes, I think I've been stuck in doors for too long. Some fresh air will be good for me, I think.

She looked wistfully off into the distance.

"I want to wait by the gates for him."

With a look of uncertainty on her face, Sakura pushed Hinata's wheelchair through the early morning air up to the main gates. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and rays were shooting across the land that the Konoha ninjas call their home. A light breeze slipped through the trees and blew through the hair of the two young girls.

"Kimochiii (What a great feeling)!" Hinata said with a smile and she held her face out to catch the breeze. She hugged the froggy plush in her arms closer to her body.

Sakura held back some hair that was blowing into her face as she smiled in agreement.

They reached the front gates. A rush of memories filled Sakura at the sight of the front gates. All the times Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi sensei walked through these gates with her as they set off on mission after mission. The day when Naruto had smiled and gave her the thumbs up sign promising to bring Sasuke back. She could almost see him clearly just standing there in what Lee-san had called the "nice guy pose". His vivacious voice ran through her mind.

_It's the promise of a lifetime! _

Sakura smiled and shook her head. She looked down at the head of ink-blue hair that glistened in the morning sun in front of her.

_Naruto, come home soon, _Sakura thought out into the land beyond the gate, hoping Naruto would heed her wish. _Hinata's waiting for you. We all are._

"Sakura-chan, would you help me up out of my wheelchair?"

"Hinata-chan! You can't! You have to take it slow and easy!"

"Please, Sakura-chan, I feel stiff. I just want to walk around for a bit, stretch out my legs and body."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, hopefully I'll be walking by the time Naruto comes back. I don't want him to worry too much."

Heaving a sigh, Sakura gave in and said, "Okay, but not for too long okay? You've got to take it easy or you'll hurt yourself. You've been in bed about a week. Don't strain yourself."

"Hai hai, Sakura-chan."

Sakura maneuvered the wheelchair to a more level ground to the side just outside the gates where there was a patch of grass. She figured in case Hinata falls, it would be better that she falls on the grass instead of on the dirt and gravel on the main road. The patch of grass and trees to the side of the main gates was quite pleasant. The green ground was thick with blades of grass and patches of wild flowers sprung up here and there. Birds chirped to each other amiably in the trees and fluttered down occasionally to examine them with curiosity before hopping back up to the trees and sky. Sakura saw something in the corner of her eye.

"Hold on just a minute, Hinata-chan."

She ran over to a patch of wildflowers and picked something out of the array. She came skipping back to Hinata who was waiting patiently in her chair.

Sakura held up in front of her a large dandelion with a full set of seeds attached to white puffs that formed a perfect, white sphere of fuzziness.

"Here, make a wish," Sakura said with a wink as she handed it to Hinata.

"Mh," Hinata gave a cheerful nod as she took the dandelion in her hand and took a deep breath.

Sakura hopped out of the way as Hinata blew the little bits of white fuzz up into the sky. The two girls watched as the individual seeds twirled away into the morning cerulean.

"Are you ready?"

Hinata nodded as she started to hoist herself out of the wheelchair seat with the armrests. Sakura quickly reached her arms out and began to support Hinata's efforts. Soon, Hinata stood up, though she leaned much of her weight on Sakura who was standing in front of her to the side holding one of her arms and shoulders up. Hinata had a hold on Sakura's shoulders. Sakura helped her as Hinata took one step at a time away from her wheelchair.

"Gomen (sorry), Sakura-chan, I must be heavy."

"Oh my gosh, no, you're light as a feather. Just be glad you're not carrying me. I'm as heavy as an ox! But that's because of all my ninja muscle!"

Sakura pulled away one of her arms to flex her bicep with emphasis.

Hinata started to laugh uncontrollably and Sakura joined in, their mirth ringing like chimes through the Konoha morning sky. For a moment, Hinata lost her footing and almost fell, Sakura readjusted quickly to compensate. They both broke out in a fresh bout of laughter.

A ways down the road from the Konoha gates, a thought crossed a young ninja's mind as the sound of the laughing friends reached his ears.

_It's been a long time since I've heard laughter._

Naruto and Sasuke followed the sound of the laughter and came upon the serene scene of Sakura helping Hinata, still in her pale blue hospital wear, walk across the thick carpet of the greenest grass. Bees buzzed busily around the wildflowers while butterflies fluttered timidly among them.

"Careful, can you take another step? How does it feel?"

"Shaky, but better."

"Hinata…"

The two girls froze at the sound of Naruto's voice. They both looked up to see the disbelieving look Naruto had on his face. His eyes began to well up with tears.

"Naruto…" Hinata recklessly pulled out of Sakura's grasp and made to run to him but her legs failed her and she began to fall forward. Naruto was in front of her in a flash, just in time to catch her falling form in his arms. He stood there, holding her, supporting her weight. She wrapped her arms around her.

"You're really okay?" His voice came out muffled from where his face was buried in her neck.

"Hai."

"I thought I lost you."

"Sakura, it was Sakura who healed me."

Without raising his face from Hinata's neck, Naruto said with a trembling voice,

"Sakura…arigato…"

His words were met with silence. Sakura stood frozen at the spot where Hinata had left her. When the blue haired girl had pulled away from her, she had made to go after her but something had walked into her field of vision that seemed to knock the senses out of her. A cool breeze blew her hair across her face again, but she made no effort to push away the locks of pink that played against her features.

Sasuke was taller, leaner, and his bangs hung longer past his chin. The rest of his hair spiked up behind him, characteristically streaking backwards the way it had since their years at the academy. He had his hands in the pockets of his white shorts and he stood there with the same nonchalant presence he's always had. But his eyes were different from his blasé demeanor. They were wide, staring first at the sight of Naruto holding Hyuuga Hinata in his arms, then at Sakura who stood staring at him in a state of paralysis.

"Oy, uh, Sakura…" he said in greeting to break the awkward silence of the moment.

The sound of his voice woke Sakura from her trance. She began to walk towards him, slowly, one careful step at a time, as if she was afraid any sudden move would cause him to take flight.

She had waited so long to say these words, these words she was about to offer to him.

As she approached him, her lips trembling, her eyes welling up with tears that formed deep pools of liquid that began to spill uncontrollably down her face, she raised one trembling hand up and slid it over his shoulder, then did the same with her other hand. She wrapped her arms gently around his neck. Sasuke didn't embrace her back, but neither did he push her away.

"Okaerinasai (Welcome home)."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he processed her words. The last time he heard that phrase addressed to him was when his mother had welcomed him home from a day at the academy, the day before she was murdered, the day before she was slaughtered by his own brother, her first son. His eyes softened.

_It's been a long time since I've heard those words._

His chest flooded with a strange sort of grief-filled happiness and nostalgia that overwhelmed his senses. Then, he responded with the same thing he used to say to his mother and father, everyday before they were snuffed from his life forever.

"Tadaima (I'm home)."

At the sound of those words, the flood that had been consuming Sakura broke forth and she was sobbing on his shoulder, trying hard to stay standing, trying hard to keep her arms around him, trying hard to keep him from disappearing again.

* * *

In the dark, vast basement of a compound hidden in the depths of a thick forest, Kabuto's glasses gleamed with their usual calculating malice.

"So, he's returned to Konoha."

A raspy, eerie voice slithered hair-raisinglythrough the air.

"Would you like me to personally go and extract him?"

"No, this may work to our advantage. Kill two birds with one stone. Let him settle in and rebuild his bridges to the hearts of Konoha."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

* * *

Deep in the shadows cast by rock and stone with a fiery red backdrop reminiscent of a volcanic nightmare, Uchiha Itachi spoke in his frigid voice.

"The boy is growing faster than we had expected."

There was a calm silence as the others in his presence pondered this statement.

"This is good news. If the Kyubi can give a simple boy like that such high level powers, imagine what the demon can do in under our control."

"It seems, though, that the boy is unwilling to use all of Kyubi's powers."

"That will buy us some time."

"Yes, we have other priorities to attend to at the moment."

_

* * *

Note: Yay! Reunited! I got all teary eyed writing that part :P This is a good time to give you all a disclaimer about the role Akatsuki will take. Since this is a quantum universe diverging from the actual Naruto story right after the big Naru Sasu fight, I'm sure it's been obvious to you all that I'm in no way trying to predict what might happen in the actual progression of the story by Masashi. The tough thing with Akatsuki in this fanfic at this point is that they're plans aren't all that clear to me yet. I have a theory that I'm sorta going with for now, and as I learn more about the organization and its motives, I'll try to integrate more of it into the story here depending on when that info becomes available and whether or not it will fit with the flow of this quantum universe. That's sort of the approach I've been taking with all the new developments in the real Naruto story that I come across (haven't seen the fillers yet...) instead of rewriting the story every time I find out something new about the actual plot development (which I think would sort of break apart the whole experience of following this fanfic). So bear with me, and I would greatly appreciate being directed to more info and hearing people's theories about the Akatsuki. Thanks again!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Note: Thanks for your patience everyone! Did you know that wikipedia has a big, fairly detailed section on akatsuki: O I was a bit shocked because I usually use it to look up engineering terms. Anyways, hope you enjoy this next installment. Based on the stats, it looks like there's about 1000 people reading this Fanfic series so it's quite a community! I'm very glad I have so many fellow Naruto fans to enjoy this Fanfic with! Thank you again for reading and all your great feedback! _

* * *

All The Difference 7

"One more time Hinata!"

"Hai!"

She ran towards him again, dodging a punch he'd aimed at her head, slipping under his arm and through an opening, she returned the attack shooting one of her fists towards his stomach. Naruto tapped her strike away, diverting the direction of the force just enough for it to land in open air instead of his stomach. Hinata slid down to the ground, one leg stretched out and swung it around in circular motion, the tip of her extended foot slightly grazing the ground drawing a circle and sending up a faint stream of dust into the air, her other foot tucked underneath her acting as the focal point of the pivot motion. Naruto jumped backwards and barely avoided getting his legs swept out from underneath him.

In response, Hinata swung her body up and forward in a sort of asymptotic curve, her fist coming up in an upper cut headed for Naruto's chin. Leaning back to avoid the strike, Naruto kicked off of the ground, and flipped backwards, his two legs flying up in front of him, one after the other, in a smooth motion. The tip of Naruto's foot just missed her chin. He landed deftly in a crouch and pounced forward with the momentum of his full mass, his right fist flying forward in unison with his body head straight for Hinata's face again. She parried the attack, but not enough, and the strike landed on her left shoulder. She gasped in pain and was pushed back a yard. The combined momentum of Naruto's body and his fist was too difficult to block.

"Come on Hinata!" Naruto yelled with a hint of irritation in his voice.

Hinata had no time to nurse the new bruise that she could feel forming on her shoulder. Another fist was flying at her face, then another. Naruto's strikes rained down on her so fast, it was all she could do to block the incoming blows with her arms. She felt the sore spots all over her arms where fresh bruises were growing.

"NARUTO!"

The sound of Sakura's authoritative voice struck them, and the rain of punches stopped. Hinata tripped and fell backwards in exhaustion. Then she got up shakily, her right hand on her left shoulder, grimacing in pain.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura glared at Naruto in disbelief.

"It's none of your business Sakura. We're just training," Naruto returned coldly, a shadow falling over his eyes.

"Beating someone to a pulp is not training!" Sakura scolded. "What's gotten into you?"

"Sakura-chan, it's okay," Hinata said, still trying to catch her breath.

"No it's not okay! I've never seen you like this Naruto! You're acting like Neji! What's gotten into you?"

Naruto turned angrily away from Sakura and stormed off into the forest. The brightness of another beautiful day in Konoha stung his eyes. Naruto kept his mad eyes fixed on the ground as he left the two girls in the clearing.

"Are you okay Hinata?"

Hinata rotated her shoulder a bit. Her face was covered in smudges of dirt and sweat, her eyes strained from the pain and exertion, and there was even a bruise on her left cheek from an earlier hit that she wasn't able to block. Her clothes were in a similar state of disarray.

"I'm all right, thank you Sakura."

"You don't look all right."

"It's just part of training. I only ended up like this because I'm not fast enough or strong enough."

"But still!"

"I need to train like this so that I improve in my physical offense and defense."

"Okay…if you say so…but it just looked like Naruto was coming down on you harder than he should have. You can't train if you're injured!"

"I know."

Hinata threw a sad glance at the spot where Naruto disappeared into the forest.

"Thanks for your concern, Sakura-chan. I'll be all right. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay…" Sakura watched with a frown as Hinata ran off in the direction Naruto had gone.

Naruto sat hugging his knees to his chest, his face buried behind the folds of his arms, his spiky yellow hair bursting over the sleeves of his jacket. The waterfall roared away peacefully and streams of light danced upon the rocks and water. Naruto sat on the rock that he and Hinata had sat on the day before her mission.

Another pair of blue shoes stepped onto the large, flat rock. A pair of arms covered in thick tan jacket sleeves slipped around him from behind, one around his torso and the other around his head and hugged him.

"Gomen (sorry)…" Naruto said after a moment of silence in her embrace.

"It's okay."

Hinata sat down next to him with one arm around his shoulders pulling him to lean towards her. Naruto lifted his head.

"No, I was being selfish. I just…"

A silent tear streamed down his face and then another. Hinata listened patiently.

"I just don't want lose you. I don't want to be alone again."

"I know. Me neither."

Hinata wiped away the wetness from his face with her thumb. He gently took her hand in his and pushed the sleeve back on her arm to reveal an arm spotted with bruises. He looked up at the bruise on her cheek.

"Gomen…"

"Naruto, daijobu (it's all right). I know I have to get stronger."

"I can't be by your side all the time…"

"I know, it's my fault for being weak and worrying you. But I'm getting stronger all ready."

She pushed the sleeve back on his arm to reveal a number of bruises she had given to him during their training session that day.

"See? I paid you back." With a smile, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You'd better watch out when I actually use my hyperactive byakuugan."

Naruto gave her a lopsided smile through his tears. She kissed his salty, wet, and whiskered cheek and wrapped her arms around him. Like a wounded puppy, he buried his face in her coat.

The sky was beginning to turn an orange-red as the sun set behind the hills. As Hinata hugged him, her mind was quickly working out an idea she suddenly had that might help her fare better next time she was attacked.

* * *

Sakura made her way to the cement balcony that overlooked a peaceful image of a Konoha morning. She had an appointment that morning, but it was still early so she decided to take a little walk and visit an old place of memory. The spot she was approaching was where she, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi sensei had their first meeting.

_My favorite thing is cup ramen!_

_My name is Hatake Kakashi._

She rolled her eyes with a smile at the memories of their voices. Then she remembered what Sasuke had shared that day. The smile dropped off her face and in its place was the usual look of worry that had plagued her features ever since the day Orochimaru had bitten into Sasuke's neck and given him that bizarre bruise. It had all ready been a few weeks since his return, and he'd said little if anything to anyone. Just as he'd always been, Sasuke's kept to himself and only showed up when called for. The 5th met with him on they day of his return, and Sakura was sure Kakashi sensei probably had a talk or two with him. Besides her welcoming him home and the occasional greeting and small talk, they hadn't really said much to each other at all. She had continued on with her training with Tsunade-sama and taking care of duties around the village.

As she came upon the balcony past the two rows of trees, Sakura noticed that someone was there all ready. She gasped.

"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here?"

Sasuke turned around to look her way. He was sitting in the exact same spot he sat in that first day they had met as a team. Sakura shook away the weight of worry she felt. Involuntarily she glanced over at the spot where she had sat so long ago, a giddy school girl with a crush on the boy in class that every girl was after.

_If I had focused on my training more back then, maybe things would have turned out different…maybe Sasuke wouldn't have that bruise…maybe…_

"Oh, nothing, I was just getting some fresh air."

"Ah."

Sakura took her seat in her respective spot. She laughed.

"All that we're missing is Naruto sitting between us saying how much he hates waiting for his cup ramen to heat up and Kakashi sensei leaning against the rail pretending to tell us about himself."

"Hmph," Sasuke returned in a sort of half laugh and a corner of his lip curved up in a half smile. He looked out at the view.

_Well, that was better than nothing. At least he seems amused, _Sakura thought to herself. Then the question that had been plaguing her day in and day out since the day he returned burst out into the brisk air.

"Why did you come back?"

Sakura looked out onto the horizon where the sun was all ready fully up from behind the mountains and making its way up through the dynamic canvas of a colorful sky.

Sasuke, his fingers intertwined loosely in front of his mouth, just like they did on that day so long ago, was silent for a moment before he replied.

"To think."

Sakura turned his words over in her head.

"About what?"

"Everything."

She turned to look at him.

"Why now?"

Sasuke turned to return her look.

"Naruto said some things to me that made me realize I needed to think things through a bit more. That's all."

Sakura looked back at the horizon.

"Why here? I mean, you can think anywhere you know."

She tried to suppress a tinge of irritation that had crept into her voice.

"I just need to clarify the consequences of my actions for myself."

Reflective Sasuke was a new side of him she'd never really seen. Her eyes softened a bit.

"How long are you going to stay?"

"I don't know."

Sakura had spent so many sleepless nights worrying about him, his words seemed to have little affect on her at the moment. She felt rather numb at the mention of his leaving again.

She heaved a sigh.

"Well, since you're here now, you might as well come along with me to my appointment."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"Appointment?"

"Yeah, Naruto was looking for you, too, anyways. Said he was having trouble finding you."

"For what?"

"Well, a lot of us have a day off today, and Naruto planned some sort of thing."

"What thing?"

"I don't know. Why don't we just go find out?"

Sakura jumped to her feet, stretched her arms up into the sky and let out a big yawn.

"That Naruto. This had better be worth my time."

She turned around and started walking away. She stopped and threw him a casual glance.

"You coming?"

Silently, Sasuke got to his feet and turned to follow her.

* * *

When Sakura and Sasuke reached the large clearing in the woods, Naruto was all ready there talking excitedly to everyone. Shikamaru lay lazily on his side chewing on a blade of grass that stuck out of the corner of his mouth. Choji sat cross-legged next to him chewing on some jerky. He had assorted empty snack bags strewn about him. Shino was standing silently in the shadow of a nearby tree, his hands in his coat pocket and his face half hidden as usual. Ten Ten stood with her weight shifting from one foot to the other near Neji who looked like he was busy counting something in his head. Rock Lee was on the ground doing one-fisted push-ups. Ino leaned relaxed against the trunk of a tree, and up in that tree's branches was Hinata perched up in the shadows, her legs hanging down and swinging slightly back and forth. Kiba and Akamaru were playing a game of tag weaving in and out of the crowd.

"Oy! Sakura! Yes! You found Sasuke! Come on over here! I was just about to explain the rules of the game to everyone!"

"Gyaaahhh! Sasuke-kun!" Ino ran over, and as usual, threw a shameless, flirtatious arm around Sasuke. And, also as usual, Sasuke threw her an irritable look.

_It really does seem like he's never left…_Sakura thought, throwing a glance over at Ino and Sasuke and then continuing on towards Naruto and the others.

Ino gave Sakura a perplexed look, half expecting her to turn around with livid eyes and scream at her to get her hands off of Sasuke, but Sakura just kept walking.

"Gyaaah! Sasuke-kun!" Kiba's mimicry pierced through her thoughts and awkward silence as she stood there with her arms still around Sasuke.

"Oh my gosh! It's Sasuke-kun! Gyaaah!" Kiba skipped around ridiculously with his hands to his cheeks as he proceeded with his mockery. A few chuckles broke from the crowd there and even Sasuke had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing.

Suddenly, Kiba had to jump out of the way to avoid a flying kick from Ino.

"You moron! You're just jealous because you have no appeal to girls because you're a stinky inu (dog)!"

Kiba raised an arm and gave his own armpit a sniff.

"Psh, it's not my fault you can't handle the smell of a real man."

Akamaru barked in agreement.

Ino had a fist flying towards him, and Kiba wasted no time in returning the favor. Soon the two were a cloud of fists, feet, and dust in no time. Naruto and Sakura jumped into the scuffle and finally the dust settled revealing Naruto holding back a growling Kiba and Sakura holding back a hissing Ino.

"Calm down you guys! I was just about to explain the game!"

Ino and Kiba gave each other another defiant look, then they both looked away with a "Hmph" of disdain.

"Whew, okay, so everyone's here. I don't know the name of this game, but I watched some kids playing it while I was out training with Jiraiya and it looked like fun. This is the ball we're going to use."

Naruto picked up a thick plastic blue ball and tossed it up and down as he continued on.

"Okay, so you see there're two poles at the far end of the clearing and two poles over here. Those are the 'goals'. You get a point with for your team if you get the ball through the other team's goal. We'll play a sudden death game. First team to make a point wins the game. Oh, and one more thing, you can't use your hands to move the ball."

"What about weapons?" Ten Ten asked.

"Uh, I guess weapons are okay as long as you don't break the ball."

"We can attack people from the other team?" asked Neji.

"Um, yeah sure, why not."

"How about genjutsu (illusory techniques)?" Sakura asked.

"Whatever, just don't touch the ball with your hands."

Naruto waited another moment to see if there were anymore questions. He was glad everyone seemed to show a genuine interest in participating.

"Okay, so first thing is we have to count off and split into two teams. I'll start. One."

"Two," Hinata's voice came softly from the trees.

"Three," Sakura followed.

When all of them had counted off, Naruto announced, "All right, odd numbers on this goal, even numbers on the far goal. Get with your teammates and decide who's going to be your goalie. That's the person who's going to protect your goal and try to keep the other team from scoring."

Everyone grouped up and picked their goalie. One team was comprised of Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Kiba, Ten Ten, and Neji with Neji as the goalie. The other team had Hinata, Sakura, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Rock Lee with Rock Lee as goalie.

Ino had squealed in delight when she found out she was on Sasuke's team, but when she looked over at Sakura to relish her friend's jealous rage, she found that Sakura was all ready busy talking with her teammates about strategy.

Each team huddled for some preliminary planning. Hinata's team waited patiently for a moment while Shikamaru squatted in his usual strategy-generating posture. Naruto's team surrounded a series of drawings on the ground and had fervent arguments over how they should approach the team.

In the midst of it all, Naruto and Hinata caught each other's eyes, and both of them burst out in warm smiles and gave each other a clandestine wave then went back to strategizing with their teammates.

Overhead, the sky was cheerful and at peace as it watched over the antics of this group of young ninjas who were enjoying each other's company and playing in the light of a bright and warm sun.

_

* * *

Note: Which team will win? What has Hinata got planned for the next step in her training? Stay tuned!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Note: Whew! That's all I have to say after writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you so much for reading and all your great feedback and help with finding Naruto info! _

* * *

All The Difference 8

Iruka smiled as he walked onto the scene of young ninjas busily planning their strategies. He recognized in the growing youths the images of the small children that had sat in the academy classrooms and walked through the school halls. It warmed him to see them all in the field on this bright day enjoying each others company. His eyes fell especially long on Sasuke, whose attentive participation in the day's light-hearted activities gave Iruka hope that the boy was not yet all consumed. A Konoha fire still burned in his eyes.

"Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto waved at him and hopped towards him.

"I'm so glad you could make it! Everyone! Iruka-sensei is going to referee the game."

"Hai!" a number of them replied.

Naruto handed Iruka the blue ball. The teacher, overjoyed to be surrounded by his old students, strode to the center of the field and blew on the whistle that hung around his neck.

"Oi! Okay everyone. Get to your respective sides."

The goalies Rock Lee and Neji took their place and the rest of the players dispersed across the field.

Iruka sensei walked to the center of the field and looked at Naruto for direction. Naruto shrugged in response. Iruka smiled and placed the ball in the center.

"Ano (um), okay, begin at the whistle…and don't use your hands."

He looked at Naruto who gave him the thumbs up. He stepped back and held the whistle to his mouth. Looking from side to side, he saw the look of intense concentration on each of the young ninja's faces. _This will be a great exercise for all of them_, he thought to himself.

The shrill whistle pierced through the air.

"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)!"

Naruto's voice overlapped with the whistle, not even waiting for it to end its high pitched wail. All around the entire field popped up Naruto clones that were immediately heading for the blue ball. The density of Naruto's on the field limited the movement of all the other players. One of the Naruto's clones got hold of the ball, tossing it about between his feet as he made his way towards the other team's goal surrounded by an entourage of other Narutos.

"Kyuichose no jutsu (Summoning technique)!"

Not long after Naruto's clone gained control of the ball, Sakura's voice sounded out loud and clear through the many screams of Naruto clones in the heat of the game. All around the field popped up slugs about the size of a large, full grown dog.

"Kitsui! Zeshi nensan (acid of 1000 fangs)!"

The slugs all began to spit out a putrid yellow and slightly viscous liquid from their mouths. The Naruto clones that didn't move quickly enough to avoid the attack puffed up into smoke. The ball's progression toward the goal was slowed down to a crawl.

Taking cue, Tenten was the next to execute her move.

"Soshoryu (Twin Rising Dragons)!"

Tenten embedded two large scrolls into the ground next to her. Smoke rose in the shape of two dragons, and Tenten unfurled the scrolls shooting out weapons of all kinds striking slug after slug with her signature 100 perfect accuracy. Each slug clone that was hit poofed into a puff of smoke.

As Tenten was beginning her counter attack, Hinata finished scanning the crowd of Naruto clones, and she burst forward targeting one Naruto out of the many. The one she had targeted turned to look at her and gave her a knowing smile. Hinata returned the smile, realizing that Naruto had expected all along for her to pick him out of the crowd. He broke into a sprint as well. As the made their way towards each other surrounded by clones and teammates alike, they shared a quiet moment of private joy, and then began to battle each other.

Their fight started off as purely taijutsu, mirroring their training from the day before. Arms and legs flying and bodies twisting and turning, Naruto and Hinata threw attacks at each other and parried blows in a steady beat.

"You're getting faster," Naruto smiled as he tapped away one of her punches.

"Maybe you're getting slower," Hinata said, her voice amazingly retaining its soft and gentle texture despite the impish implication of her message and the kick she swung at him simultaneously with her speech.

The veins and nerves around her pale eyes bulged as her byakuugan hyper-activated, and Naruto, who had just dodged the kick, suddenly felt Hinata's fingers striking his body, her hands poised like the attacking limbs of a preying mantis.

"Juuken (Gentle Fist)!"

Naruto could feel some of his chakra channels blocked. He slapped aside some of her Juuken attacks.

"Juujin bunshin (Beast Human Clone)!"

Kiba and Akamaru in Kiba's form both began to run immediately at Choji. The Akimichi boy quickly began to run off away from them, munching noisily on this snack or that snack, pulling out something new to chew on every few minutes. All the while, he was littering the field with used snack bags. The smell of the snacky foods was everywhere.

"Gatsuga (Double Piercing Fang)!"

Kiba and Akamaru came at Choji twisting in what looked like twin horizontally whirling tornados. When they got near their target, somehow Choji sped up just enough to allow the two attackers to miss and strike only air. Then Choji went back to a normal running pace while still munching and dropping used snack bags all over the place.

"How does he run and eat at the same time? Doesn't he get a stomach ache? And when did he learn to move so fast?"

Kiba wondered aloud. Then he and Akamaru resumed their chase of Choji, weaving in and out of Naruto clones, large slugs, and a thick rain of Tenten's flying weapons.

Ino ran up towards Shikamaru, her assigned target. _Great, I get lazy bones here while Sakura's got Sasuke coming after her, _she thought.

Shikamaru was standing on the side of the field, shifting his weight from one foot to another as if he was waiting in line at the supermarket. The expression on his face was one of boredom and impatience which matched his laid-back body language. He watched as the blue-eyed Ino ran towards him dodging in between a number of Naruto clones, her blonde her streaming behind her in a high pony tail.

"This is so troublesome."

Ino stopped knowingly at the edge of Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technqiue) range, preparing to jump away if he were to use the shadows of the Naruto's and Kitsui slug clones to get to her, but she knew that she had an advantage here. She was fast, faster than him at least, and the shadows at his disposal were not stationary so it would be harder for him to coordinate such a move. Plus, even if he caught her, he could only hold her for about five minutes, and her Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Switch Technique) could go for longer than that. She pulled out a series of kunai and held them spiking out of her fist.

Surprisingly, Shikamaru suddenly broke out of his lazy state into a run straight towards her. She sent the kunai flying at him, but he dodged them easily. Right as Ino had thrown the kunai, she had her fingers up in a circle in front of her face, about to take over Shikamaru's mind, but it was then that she realized she couldn't move.

Her eyes grew wide. _He can do Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) even while moving? I should've noticed that! Darn it! Then again, he usually doesn't move that much so I didn't get much of chance to see him do this on our missions. _

"All right, let's just wait this out. I didn't feel like doing much."

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds watching them float lazily across the azure sky.

"I guess I got about five minutes to just relax here."

"Argh! This is so boring! I hate you Shikamaru! You're so sneaky!"

Ino stood helplessly looking up at the clouds against her will with Shikamaru.

Closer to the center of the field, Sasuke's attention had first been on Sakura at the beginning as she screamed with fervor,

"That's right! Eat acid Naruto clones!"

Then he turned to see Hinata and the real Naruto jetting straight towards each other. He could clearly see the clones from the original Naruto with his Sharingan, which he hyper-activated as soon as the whistle sounded. The three black dots swirled menacingly in his blood red iris. His first thought upon seeing Hinata racing towards Naruto was, _So, she can see him, too._ The second thought that crossed his mind as he saw Naruto also head straight for Hinata was, _When did that happen?_ It seemed like he had been gone forever and everyone here was different. Everything had changed. Everyone had moved on, and it felt like he was left behind, still stuck in the same place.

"AAAAARGH! Leave my little sluggies alone Tenten!"

His attention was brought back to Sakura when he heard her yell again. He'd rarely seen her this relaxed, showing that rough, tough spirited side of herself that she always tried to hide in the past in order to remain feminine. She wasn't fettered anymore; it was like she was letting loose her Inner Sakura on the world. Sasuke had to smile as he watched her rant and rave as her slug clones were being taken out. He ran towards her, since Naruto said it would be tactically best for him to check Sakura's movements during the game. Naruto had warned him that Sakura's genjutsu had improved tremendously since he'd been gone. She was the best genjutsu user on the field that day, and the sharingan would be the best way to counter her strongest attacks.

Sasuke came at her from the side and flung a high powered punch towards her head. He did so almost half-mindedly paying attention to his movements, allowing his years of training to guide his body through this standard motion, knowing that he was faster and stronger than Sakura and that she would never be able to dodge this punch. He would knock her out quick and move on to the next step to help his team score. He didn't like losing.

His fist was a little over a foot away from her face when Sakura's hand shot up and caught the punch cold.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he processed what had happened. Sakura caught one of his punches straight on without flinching. She turned to look into his face with fire burning in her eyes. Sakura didn't like losing either.

_Is the genjutsu?_ Sasuke had to wonder, for a moment doubting his own sharingan ability to see through most genjutsu. Unless it was genjutsu that was so powerful even his sharingan couldn't see through it, which was highly unlikely because such genjutsu is rare, Sasuke concluded that this was no illusory technique and Sakura really did stop his attack.

As the Uchiha boy was in the midst of trying to understand the situation at hand, Sakura's right leg flew up into the air and came down in a classic ax kick aimed for Sasuke's head. Jumping backwards just in time to avoid being struck down, Sasuke watched another shocking event unfold before his eyes. Sakura's foot hit the ground and created a large crater. _Woah, if I took a direct hit from that, I would've been out cold_, Sasuke realized and looked with wide, disbelieving eyes at the pink-haired girl who could barely fight off low level opponents in a physical attack back when they went on missions together.

"It's not genjutsu," Sakura said, clearly guessing right on what he was thinking.

"Tsunade-sama has been giving me strength training," Sakura smiled triumphantly and then jumped towards him.

"You can't copy muscle with Sharingan!"

Sasuke slipped to the side, avoiding a straight fist attack to the face, and he could feel the power as the punch slid near his head. It was true, he was still faster than Sakura, but it seems whatever strength training the 5th Hokage had been teaching Sakura has been working wonders. The two were locked in a series of Taijutsu moves with Sasuke using his speed to attack as well as avoid being hit and Sakura using her strong blocks to deflect attacks.

All the while, Shino had been calmly making his way through the chaos towards Neji. When he was about 10 yards away, Neji's body was surrounded by the spinning winds of his chakra, the beginnings of his Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl). Flung away from his body as a result of this technique was a spray of tiny Destruction Bugs that Shino had apparently sent towards him ahead of time.

"You're only feeding them with your chakra with that move."

The corners of Neji's mouth curved up in a smile. Shino stared intently at him from behind his sunglasses. Suddenly, Shino gasped. Neji released chakra from his body in surgical bursts and from his body fell the bodies of dead Destruction Bugs.

"Not if they're dead."

Shino grimaced. The veins and nerves around Neji's eyes bulged. Shino knew he could see every single Destruction Bug in a 50 yard radius. Kunai began to drop out of Shino's sleeves, and as each one fell, they were flung towards Neji. On the handle of each was a batch of Destruction Bugs. Neji dodged some of the attacks, but when the kunai started to rain in too thickly, he was forced to initiate his Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl). The kunai fell to the floor along with the Destruction Bugs.

Neji's brow twitched. Shino was using his kunai attacks to force Neji to emit chakra which the bugs on the kunai were feeding on. He couldn't go on too long like this. Neji began to plan counter offensive measures.

"Heads up! Tenten's got the ball!" Rock Lee screamed to his teammates.

Tenten was making her way quickly across the field, kicking and maneuvering the blue ball around the slugs that began turning their acid attack on her. As she moved, kunais and shuriken flew taking out the slugs in her path.

"Bunshin no jutsu!" Hinata formed a number of clones of herself. All of her teammates were checked, and Shino was busy wearing down Neji's defense at the other goal. Naruto was in a weakened state because of his mass cloning chakra use combined with Hinata's Juuken attacks blocking off his chakra flow. She was the best positioned to send clones after Tenten while still keeping Naruto busy. But Hinata's clones were too late. Tenten was already shooting the ball towards the goal at hyper speed, using her super accuracy to aim the ball at the most difficult to guard spot she could find in the goal area. Tenten braced, waiting to see if her speed and accuracy could be matched by Rock Lee's speed. With those weights still wrapped around his leg, she thought maybe she had a chance of scoring.

Suddenly, to her surprise and the shock of everyone on her team, Rock Lee used an unexpected technique.

"Nikudan Sensha (Meat tank)!"

"Wha-…" Tenten's mouth fell agape.

Rock Lee expanded into a large ball and blocked the goal attempt by blocking the entire goal area.

Then there was a puff of smoke and poof, Rock Lee changed into Choji. As the failed attempt to score was blocked, the blue ball bounced off of Choji high up into the sky and the other Choji, the one who had been chased by Kiba and Akamaru, flew up into the air to catch it sandwiched between his feet with uncharacteristic speed and agility. As the ball was securely held between his feet, the Choji in the air poofed in a puff of smoke to reveal Rock Lee as the actual possessor of the ball, a bag of snacks still in his hand from his antics of pretending to be Choji.

"No wonder he smelled a bit weird! But I couldn't tell for sure from all the food smell and thick fumes from the slug acid!" Kiba exclained aloud.

Rock Lee twisted his body as he fell from the sky, positioning himself to face the opposite team's goal. He then released the ball and slammed the hardest kick he could muster into the ball, sending it zooming at hyper speed towards Neji's goal area. As the ball zoomed, a number of Naruto clones started for the goal area to block it. One particular one jumped ahead of the crowd, heading straight at Neji.

Neji, seeing that the Naruto clone furthest ahead of the crowd was going to barely miss blocking the ball, initiated a full blown Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl) that covered an area that surpassed the goal area. Destruction Bugs flew everywhere, but Neji's main goal was to block the attempted goal.

Shino thought to himself, _After all those attacks from me, he still has this much chakra. I hope we get another chance to have a one on one extended battle in the future._

The ball shooting towards the sphere of spinning chakra around the goal was about to hit the surface of the sphere when the Naruto clone coming at Neji suddenly yelled,

"Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl)!"

Around the Naruto clone formed a whirling sphere just like Neji's only flowing in an opposite direction. The two spheres of flowing chakra overlapped lake a huge Venn diagram and the counter flow of each disrupted the other causing the two spheres to disperse. Neji's attention was diverted in shock at the Naruto clone that was capable of Hyuuga techniques.

As the Divine Whirls dispersed, the blue ball flew through the goal area.

"YATTAAAAAAAAA (WOOOOOOOOOOO)!" Sakura screamed as she jumped up and down in victory.

The Naruto clone that had executed the Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl) puffed into smoke to reveal a smiling Hinata.

"All right!" Rock Lee yelled as he jumped into the air, dropping the bag of chips he had in his hand. Choji ran up quickly to pick up the precious snack bag and began munching happily on its contents.

_They used the Rock Lee and Choji switch to distract the other team so that Hinata could use the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) and disguise herself as a Naruto clone. _Iruka sensei thought to himself as he smiled, impressed by the multiple layers of strategy that had been employed by the winning team, who he thought was the disadvantaged team because he had assessed them as the team with weaker members. Apparently he had underestimated how much they'd all grown.

_This was really all thanks to Shikamaru's thinking_, Shino thought quietly to himself.

As if on cue, Shikamaru, yawned loudly and annoyingly, and said, "Oh finally its over. Good thing the first strategy worked or we would have had to resort to the other twenty that we'd planned. That would've been a pain."

Some members of the other team glared at him. _Show off,_ they all simultaneously thought.

"Yoshi (Okay)! We'll have to play this again next week with the same teams! We're going to win next time!" He stuck his tongue out at the other team.

"HA! You wish!" Sakura stuck her tongue out in return. "We'll be ready for you!"

"You can't use the same tricks on us again!" Kiba screamed, "We'll be ready for YOU!"

"That's right!" chimed in Ino.

A competitive fire burned in each of the young ninja's eyes as they imagined the next game.

"Let's all go to all you can eat BBQ!" Choji suggested loudly.

"Great idea! Let's celebrate OUR victory!" Sakura stuck her tongue out again.

"BBQ!" Choji yelled.

"You know, sometimes I can't tell if you go there for Mimi or for the BBQ meat," Shikamaru wondered.

"Who's Mimi?" Ino asked.

"Choji's girlfriend," Shikamaru replied casually.

"CHOJI'S GIRLFRIEND!" A number of the young ninjas said loudly in disbelief.

"Yeah, what? You don't think I can get a girlfriend?" Choji challenged all of them.

Many of them looked away, knowing Choji's temper in reaction to an insult.

"Yeah, you'll see her. She's the daughter of the owner of the BBQ restaurant in town," Shikamaru said as he gestured for all of them to follow him.

"You all enjoy yourselves, I've got to prepare for class tomorrow," Iruka sensei said.

"Thanks Iruka sensei!" Naruto said with a wave at the teacher who cared for him like the father he never had.

"Bye Iruka sensei!" chimed the other youths.

* * *

A large man welcomed them all into the restaurantwith large arms and a loud voice.

"Choji! Welcome! Wow! You brought friends! I'm always honored to have Konoha ninjas stop by. You know you all get a discount!"

Hinata was the first to sit down at the corner of the long rectangular table at the BBQ restaurant. It was the only table in the modest establishment that could seat all twelve of the young ninjas. Naruto sat down in front of her. Suddenly feeling strangely shy in her presence, he gave her a nervous, toothy smile. Hinata also gave him a toothy smile back which was so uncharacteristic of her that he had to chuckle. _Kawaii…_he thought with an adoring smile.

Sasuke slid into the seat next to Naruto, catching a glimpse of Naruto's tender smile at Hinata. So much had changed since he left. The game they just played together gave him a good taste of just how much everyone had improved. He stared at the black grill built into the table for BBQing. It's like it didn't matter if he was there or not, the world just kept going; everyone would keep growing with or without him. _Why am I back here anyway?_

His thoughts were disrupted by an exuberant Ino.

"Hi Sasuke-kun!"

She flung an arm around him as she took the seat next to him. He leaned away. Kiba placed himself next to Ino. Her reaction was immediate.

"Ew! Get away! You stink!"

"Too bad," Kiba said with self-satisfied look on his face, "You'll just have to get used to it."

Akamaru stuck his head out of Kiba's jacket and barked in agreement.

Choji and Shikamaru took a seat on the other end of the table, Neji and Tenten sat across form each other, and Shino took a place in front of Kiba.

Sakura plopped down in front of Sasuke, putting a friendly arm around Hinata.

"Sugoi (Amazing) Hinata! Your last move was awesome!"

"Nah, I cheat with my byakuugan."

"Jease, Hinata, you gotta stop saying that," Sakura rolled her eyes.

Hinata blushed.

"You've gotten so strong Sakura! Strength training isn't working as well with me."

"Nah, you're just busy with other stuff."

Sakura threw a glance at Naruto, then looked back at Hinata with a wink and smiled as her blue-haired friend turned an even brighter shade of red.

Sakura reached an open hand out behind her up into the air. Rock Lee slapped it, giving her a high-five.

"Nice shot Lee-san!"

"Arigato! You did great yourself!"

Rock Lee sat down next to Sakura. At that moment, Sasuke felt a twinge of something in his chest that he didn't understand. Everyone here belonged together. Even Naruto, the famous drop out, seemed on friendly terms with everyone at the table. There was a level of camaraderie that seemed to have built among these young ninjas while he was away. He felt more out of place than ever. He suddenly wished he had never followed Sakura to the game, never come with them to BBQ, maybe even never came back. _What was I coming back to anyways?_

He looked up at Sakura.

_Okaerinasai (Welcome home)._

She had welcomed him home. But was this really his home? He didn't realize that he had the slightest hint of pleading in his eyes as he stared at her, begging for an answer to his question.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Sakura asked with wide, concerned eyes when she realized he was staring at her.

"Oh, no, I was just wondering what kind of strength training you've been doing," he lied.

"Oh, well, Tsunade-sama's been teaching me how to use my chakra control to increase the impact of my strikes. But she's also just been teaching me how to build basic physical strength, like weight lifting and punching boulders and stuff like that."

"Ah, so desu (I see)," Sasuke said, genuinely interested.

"CHOOOJIII-KUUN!"

A cute young girl with flowing black hair and an apron wrapped around her petite torso ran out and gave Choji a big hug.

Everyone's jaw at the table besides Choji and Shikamaru's dropped a few inches down from their skulls. Shino's probably dropped, too, but it was hidden behind his high collar.

"Daddy just told me you were here! You're just in time! I just finished a new batch of my special recipe! You should go and say hi to Mochi!"

"Everyone, this is Mimi!" Choji announced, a few specks of crackers flying out of his mouth as he spoke.

"I'll be back," he walked towards the kitchen door.

"Pleased to meet everyone!" Mimi said with a smile and bow, "I hope you enjoy your food here. I'll bring out a plate of my special recipe for each of you right away!"

She pranced off to the kitchen.

Ino turned to Shikamaru.

"How come you didn't tell me about this? I thought we were a team."

"You never asked," Shikamaru tossed back apathetically.

"Who's Mochi?"

"Oh, that's Mimi's cat. It got stuck in a tree once and Choji climbed up and got it down. It took him an hour to climb up that tree and another hour to climb back down with the cat. Believe me, I waited."

As the food was served, everyone fell into excited discussion about the game. The smell of the different sauces filled the air with a rich aroma as they plopped slice after slice of BBQ onto the grill and then into their mouths. The conversation shifted to their upcoming missions.

"We're just going on a C-rank mission to retrieve some rare herbs for Tsunade-sama," Kiba said.

Naruto threw Hinata a worried glance, then went back to busying himself with cooking the marinated beef.

"Oh yeah, Naruto, Sasuke, I forgot. Kakashi-sensei said we're to report to him tomorrow to meet with the 5th Hokage. We're going to be assigned a mission so be prepared to head out tomorrow."

Sakura tried to hide the excitement trembling in her voice. A mission, with all four of them together again. Just like old times. She was so happy.

"All right!" Naruto exclaimed, sharing in Sakura's excitement, but he was subdued when he caught Hinata throwing him a worried glance.

"Ah," Sasuke replied, not quite sure how to feel.

"Sasuke, it's good to have you back!" Kiba reached behind Ino and put a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"That's right! Team 7 is back in business again!" Naruto called out.

"Hey, it was pretty troublesome going after you, you know," Shikamaru said stretching his arms behind his head.

"Yes, quite so," Neji said with a smile.

"Mm, Mm," Choji munched on some more BBQ in agreement.

Sasuke looked over at their smiling faces. _That's right, they came for me…if they hadn't, I'd be…why did they come after me? _Besides Naruto, he hadn't been friendly with any of them.

"A…arigato (Thanks)," Sasuke said awkwardly.

"Ah, you're a Konoha ninja, one of us. Even if it's troublesome, I wanted to do it."

Shikamaru threw him a sideways grin.

"I only wish I could've been there to see Choji and Neji beat those Sound Ninjas!" Kiba said, putting his fist out for Choji and Neji who proudly knocked their fists against his.

_Choji and Neji were the ones who took those two out?_ Sasuke thought in surprise.

"Yeah, but it was good you missed seeing that Temari girl rescue my butt," Shikamaru sighed.

The whole table broke out in laughter.

* * *

Note: _Yay! The new leaves of Konoha: D I'm so proud of them all! (Wipes a tear from eye). I hope the soccer game wasn't too technical to follow or something. It was a doozy writing that. I had to draw diagrams and everything. Hopefully I did justice to everyone's abilities, especially Shikamaru's strategizing. I haven't got 20 other strategies up my sleeve like him T T I wish I was a genius like him. Please look forward to the next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Note: Hmm, these chapters do seem kind of like fillers, I would think so myself if I was a reader, but I promise you, they're very integral to the plot ) Thank you all for reading and your feedback! This fanfic was really only intended as a one-shot initially, but everyone's reviews inspired me to write more. Everything after Ch. 1 of Awakenings wouldn't even be around if it hadn't been for people's feedback so please enjoy!_

* * *

All The Difference 9

It was still twilight, but the sky was beginning to turn from blackness to a deep blue hue. Hinata opened the front gate to the Hyuuga compound, her travel pack ready for her mission. She gasped.

Naruto was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall opposite the entrance to her home.

"Ohayougozaimasu (good morning), Hinata-chan."

"Naruto! Daijobu deska (Are you okay)? Are you feeling sick?"

She ran to him and put her hand to his forehead to feel his temperature. Instead of it being warm with fever, it was frigid cold. He had apparently been out here for awhile.

Hinata put down her pack, then pulled off her jacket and covered Naruto with it. She hugged him, pressing her warm lips against his cold, whiskered cheek as she kissed him.

"What are you doing out here like this?"

"I was just having a little trouble sleeping."

They sat there in silence for a moment. Then Hinata pulled out something from her pocket.

"I talked to my father, and he's going to teach me how to counter act the Sharingan psychological attack, but he gave me this for now."

Naruto looked down at a small, wooden tube Hinata held in her hand.

"It's a temporary blinding powder."

Naruto didn't look reassured.

"It's not much, but at least it would be something to stop Itachi if I could get it in his eyes."

Naruto looked up away from the bottle into her face.

"What's your Father going to teach you?"

"I'm not sure yet, but he all ready taught me how to do a meditation exercise that's supposed to strengthen the technique when I learn it. He says it takes a lot of time to develop it."

"Ah."

Again they sat in silence, Hinata's arms snugly wrapped around him, her jacket covering most of his body.

"Hinata, gomen (I'm sorry), you were attacked by Itachi because of me. It's my fault."

"No, Naruto, it's his fault, and mine for not being strong enough," her voice firm, yet still soft and tender.

"I'm a ninja, Naruto. My life is always in danger. It's a warrior's burden to put her life on the line in order to protect what's important."

She drew him closer to her and touched his cold face with the tip of her nose.

"I'll get stronger, because I want to come home to you, no matter what."

Hinata got up, put her jacket around Naruto's shoulders, picked up her pack, and then pulled one of Naruto's arms over her own shoulders, dragging him to his feet. She couldn't stand seeing Naruto like this. In her mind's eye flashed an image of Naruto sitting alone in the shadows of a tree on a swing, looking on as everyone's parents came to pick them up and congratulate them on becoming genin. She felt regret shoot through her. She wished she had gone up to him then, told him it was okay, told him that she knew he could do it and not to give up. She had wanted so much to comfort him back then. Her shyness and fear kept her away from him when he needed a friendly face the most.

"Gomen (sorry), Naruto. Since our first day at the academy, when I saw you, I had wanted to be your friend."

Naruto remembered how all the children had shunned him.

"I shouldn't have been so shy. I left you alone all those times. Gomen."

Naruto shook his head, a gentle smile spreading across his face as he looked over at her with his bright, blue eyes. Hinata looked up at him and blushed under his tender gaze.

"It means a lot to me that you were watching me this whole time."

He turned to face her.

"I was the one who was too dense to realize that I wasn't alone."

He slipped a hand up her cheek, caressing her face with a rough, calloused thumb, and then pulled her into a deep kiss.

* * *

Hinata's team went in first while Team 7 waited outside. Then the door opened.

"Hokage-sama would like you all to come in as well."

Throwing each other puzzled looks, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke filed into the room after Kakashi sensei.

"There's been a change of plans. Team 8 will be joining Team 7 on their mission."

Hinata and Naruto exchanged a wide-eyed look of surprise and glee. Both of them thought the same thing as they caught each other's eyes. They were glad they would be together to protect each other.

"We received a message this morning that a group of bandits have been attacking rural villages and small towns in an area northeast of here. They're requesting help and protection. Your mission is to protect the villagers and neutralize the bandits. Put those guys out of business."

The 5th Hokage smiled proudly at the young nins.

"They shouldn't be much trouble for you all, but the report says there's quite a number of them so be prepared."

* * *

"Team 7 Naruto gumi (group) back in business!"

Naruto stood at the gates dramatically with his arms on his waist.

"Since when did this become your group?" Sasuke challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, what am I? You're peon? You're not even a chuunin yet!" Sakura scathed.

Hinata giggled. Naruto's demeanor was completely different from this morning. He was full of energy. She smiled, glad to see that he was feeling better.

"Heh heh heh, joudan (joke), just kidding," Naruto chuckled nervously, hiding behind Hinata.

"Yeah, it'd better be," Sakura said with a raised fist.

It felt like old times again with Naruto saying stupid things and getting scolded by Sakura. Sasuke smiled. At that moment, he was glad to be back.

The team of eight took off and flew through the forest like wraiths as they hurried on to their mission.

Sasuke and Sakura were at the back of the group. Sakura turned and gave Sasuke a friendly smile.

"Don't you think they make the cutest couple?"

She looked at Naruto and Hinata who were flying from tree to tree a ways ahead of them. Sasuke looked at them with curiosity, then replied,

"Ah. How long have they been together?"

"Almost a year now."

"So much has changed since I've been gone."

"Yeah, but a lot has stayed the same. Ino's still a pig, and Shikamaru's still lazy. Naruto's still the number one surprise ninja, and Kakashi's still reading the same stupid book."

Sasuke laughed. Sakura chuckled, too, glad to see him smile. He looked over at her as they continued to travel through the trees.

* * *

In the distance, they saw a column of smoke billowing up into the sky.

"Oh no," Kurenai said under her breath.

"Let's hurry," Kakashi sensei added.

They came upon a horrible scene. Bandits were throwing burning torches onto the roofs of a rural village. Others were running in and out of the buildings, taking goods and loading them onto a large cart. Some of them carried children, crying and bound up, apparently meant to be sold as slaves. Screams were everywhere.

From a distance, Sasuke had heard the screams. As the visual of the helpless village hit his eyes, it sparked in him the memory his brother had embedded into his mind through an act of torture. The images of all the Uchiha clan members being slaughtered one by one in front of his eyes. The slaying of his mother and father. All the corpses he had found when he wandered around his home neighborhood.

Sasuke's teeth ground against each other, his eyes awakening in red with swirling black. He leaped up ahead of everyone.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temproary Paralysis Technique)!"

A number of bandits were frozen in place. Kakashi sensei gasped. _That's an ANBU technique…_

"Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"

The frozen bandits were blown away screaming. Both Naruto's and Sakura's jaws dropped. They'd seen that move before…back when they encountered Orochimaru for the first time in Training Area 44, The Forest of Death, during the second part of their first Chuunin exam.

Sasuke pulled handfuls of kunai out of his pocked, but instead of throwing them, he let the lot of them fall from his hand. Each knife dropped a bit then began to float up until over 20 of them levitated around his body pointed menacingly outwards.

_They're all chakra controlled…_Hinata observed.

Without warning, they flew out, expertly taking out a number of bandits.

Sasuke was all over the place, neutralizing one outlaw after another, with a speed they hadn't witnessed him execute before.

_He's been…_Naruto thought.

…_holding back, _Sakura finished the same thought.

Judging from what he saw before him, Naruto could tell that Sasuke had improved more than any of them. What has he been learning while he's been away? Naruto's brow furrowed in irritation. If he wasn't careful, things will become like it was before, when Sasuke was faster and better than him at everything. Why hadn't he shown his abilities until now? What else has he got hidden up his sleeves?

"Seneijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hand)!"

A number of snakes twirled out over Sasuke's arm and flew out at their targets. The bandits ran screaming.

Sakura's brow furrowed with worry.

_That looks like a technique Orochimaru would use_…Her eyes automatically focused in on the strange bruise that disrupted the smoothness of Sasuke's neckline. Her mind raced with the memory of the creepy opponent they encountered in the Forest of Death. She had asked Tsunade-sama tirelessly about Orochimaru, trying to learn everything she could about him as she worried about Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice pierced through Sakura's worries.

"Ah."

"I can't wait to fight you again! You'd better not hold back on me!" he said as he jumped in and landed a punch on a close by ruffian.

"Ah," Sasuke said, the two of them exchanging a smile in the midst of battle.

Shaking off the surprise, the rest of the team got to work.

Some of the thugs began fleeing into the forest. Naruto ran after one of them. He shot some kunai in his direction. The bandit cried out in pain as the dark blade hit his shoulder and another cut his thigh. He fell to the ground behind some bushes. Naruto jumped over the bushes, his eyes searching for the fallen target.

Then he saw it. Naruto's eyes grew wide with horror and the corners of his mouth quivered in shock. He stood there for a long while, staring at the image before him as it emblazoned permanently into his mind.

Around him, his other teammates were rounding up a pile of bandits, bound and wounded. They didn't realize he had been standing there motionless for quite some time. It was Hinata who first noticed the back of Naruto's spiky yellow haired head.

"Naruto?" she called to him and took a step toward him.

A piercing blood-curdling scream of a woman cut through the air. Hinata realized it was coming from Naruto's direction. She ran over to Naruto, her heart beating faster and faster, his unmoving figure worrying her more and more.

Hinata broke through the bushes and she quickly realized what had paralyzed Naruto. Before her was the source of the scream. A woman was sobbing, crying, and screaming hunched over the body of a small child.

"You were supposed to protect us!" she screamed hysterically, striking Naruto with a cutting look of hate, anger, and grief.

"Naruto?" Hinata reached out a hand to touch his arm, but before her fingers reached the fabric of his jacket, Naruto was off, running into the forest.

Hinata turned and caught Kurenai sensei's eye.

"Sensei?" she asked. Her teacher nodded, and Hinata went quickly after Naruto.

Naruto ran. He didn't know where he was going, but he felt he would burst if he didn't do something. He grabbed his chest, the stabbing pain unbearable. Inside Naruto, behind the sealed bars of its cage, the Kyubi clutched its chest with a claw, its red eyes wide with a look of shock that mirrored the one Naruto had on his face.

_What is this pain?_

Remorse washed through the evil demon's consciousness. It was yet another new concept it had never known before.

"CHIKUSHOU (DAMN)!"

As his scream echoed through the land, Naruto threw a punch at a tree that came up in his path. A blast of red chakra came out of his strike, like a tsunami washing mercilessly across the landscape, flattening everything within a one mile radius.

Hinata blocked the onslaught of red chakra with a wall of her own protective chakra, but she was thrown backwards a number of yards by the sheer force of the blow. Picking herself up and shaking off the dizziness, she looked for Naruto but realized he had run far ahead of her and was no where to be seen.

* * *

Naruto sat on the ground, tucked away between a series of large boulders. His hands were squeezing his head, as if he were trying to hold his skull together and prevent it from bursting. Red chakra was seeping off of his body. He rocked back and forth.

_What is this? What's happening? WHAT IS THIS? STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THIS!_

The Kyubi's voice screamed inside his mind.

Around the corner of a nearby boulder stepped Hinata, her byakuugan hyper activated, a worried look painted across her face. The nerves and veins around her eyes smoothed out as she looked upon Naruto. He was consumed by the red chakra flames that flickered angrily all over him. Night had fallen, and the red light emanating from the Kyubi's chakra danced eerily upon the silent stones.

Hinata walked over to him, crouched down and slipped her hands through the burning chakra, wincing a bit at the pain of coming into contact with the blaze, and pulled his hands gently away from his head. He looked up at her with his pained eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head, and he buried his face in her jacket and began to sob. The chakra flames spread around her.

"I killed her, Hinata. She's dead because of me," he moaned.

Hinata said nothing and just held him, her own eyes brimmed with tears that eventually streamed down her face. The red chakra flames that engulfed the both of them subsided, leaving them surrounded only by the cool darkness of night.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto and Hinata came back to the village. Everyone was busy clearing away the debris of fallen homes trying to salvage what they could from the ruins. There was an unspoken tension in the air between the ninjas and the village folk.

"Naruto, come with me," Kakashi sensei said as soon as he caught site of his subordinate.

Hinata put a reassuring hand on Naruto's arm before she went off to Kurenai sensei for her assignment.

Naruto walked over to Kakashi sensei and followed him as he made his way through the village.

"Your new burden is one of the heaviest a ninja must carry. But Naruto, you mustn't run away from what you've done," Kakashi sensei said in a solemn voice.

"The child's funeral is going on over there. Go."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. Naruto stopped with him, but then looked in the direction that he teacher was looking. There were a number of bodies laid on top of wooden frames surrounded by flowers. The smallest one was in front.

As Naruto walked towards the funeral area, the wooden frames were set on fire. The funeral pyre blazed sending dark smoke floating somberly up into the morning sky. Villagers wailed and cried. A group of them had to hold down one woman who was trying to throw herself onto the fire that was consuming her daughter. Naruto walked up to her.

"Gomen."

His voice was low, but steady. The mother of the child he had accidentally slain made no sign of acknowledgement to him. She continued to cry and wail and reach for the flames.

Naruto's eyes turned towards the figure of the smallest victim. He watched silently as the fire consumed the body, the flickering red flames reflecting off of his watery, blue eyes.

* * *

Sasuke kept his eyes opened just a slit as he watched Naruto pull out of his sleeping bag and walk off into the forest. He got up silently, and slipped away from their sleeping comrades.

_Jease, he's so out of it, he doesn't even sense me following him, _Sasuke thought as he followed Naruto into the trees. They came upon a clearing, the spot where Naruto had flattened the landscape in a fit of anger and frustration.

He watched as Naruto stood silently looking upon the devastated scene. Then he had to stifle a gasp when he saw red chakra start to seep out of Naruto's fingers. He moved in closer for a better view. Naruto brought his hands out in front, poised to begin a series of seals. Instinctively, Sasuke's sharingan activated. He had used it many times while he was gone with Orochimaru and Kabuto. They had shown him technique after technique. It was now second-nature for him to watch all ninjitsu with his sharingan.

Naruto formed the seals slowly with his hands burning with red chakra. Then the orange-clad ninja bent down and placed his hands, palms faced down, onto the earth. The chakra seemed to shoot directly into the ground and to his astonishment, Sasuke watched as the earth in the blighted area rumbled and the soil began to turn. Out of the earth sprouted new trees, growing at an unnatural rate, sprouting leaves as if time were on fast forward, filling the empty skyline with lush greenery.

After the end of the jutsu, Sasuke watched as his friend stepped forward to the new trees and put a hand on one of them.

"Gomen."

With a last, sad glance at his friend, Sasuke slipped silently back to their campsite.

* * *

"Daijobu deska (Are you okay)?" Hinata asked as she stepped outside the front gates of the Hyuuga compound to see Naruto off after dinner with her family.

"No."

Hinata reached up and put her hand on his face. Naruto turned his head a bit to press his cheek against her hand. Her touch was so soothing.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, mustering a weak smile for her, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay…" Hinata said, giving him uncertain look. "Oyasuminasai (Good night)." Her soft, shy voice was like a balm comforting his aching heart.

"Oyasumi."

She reached up and pecked in on the cheek, then gave him a hug.

* * *

Naruto strolled down the street slowly, and as he turned the corner, he decided to take the long way home. It wasn't long until he found himself walking on a high path he used to stroll on when he was a small child. To his left, the grass sloped down to a small lake with a miniature wooden wharf built out into it. Just like when they were kids, Naruto saw Sasuke sitting at the end of the wharf by himself in the sunset. The world was awash in orange and yellow hues as the setting sun's reflection sparkled in the lake.

Sasuke noticed him, and held up a hand in greeting. Naruto made his way down the grassy slope towards his friend and sat himself next to him on the edge of the small wharf dangling his legs over its edge.

"So how'd you end up with Hinata?"

"Oh, ah, we just started spending a lot of time together, training and stuff, and it just happened."

"She seems really nice."

"She is," Naruto smiled, "the best thing that's ever happened to me!" He gave Sasuke a toothy smile.

Sasuke laughed, "What happened to all that talk about Sakura-chan before?"

"Oh, uh," Naruto shrugged, still with a cheerful smile on his face, "I just moved on."

Sasuke gave him a quizzical look, and then looked back out at the waters below them.

"After you left, Sakura-chan came to me crying her heart out, begging me to bring you back," Naruto said, eyes reflecting the sparkling waters below.

"When I came back without you, I could barely look her in the eye. She tried to pretend that she was okay, but I could see right through her fake smile. She was so worried about you. We all were, but I think she took it the hardest. She didn't really talk to anyone much for awhile. She just focused on training."

Sasuke listened intently in silence.

"That's how she improved so much, got so good at genjutsu, got so strong. She poured herself into training. Hm, I think she was planning to go get you herself or something. Just like Sakura, ne (huh)? Just when it seems like she's going to back down, she comes back with a vengeance."

"Ah," Sasuke agreed with a knowing smile.

They watched the fish twirling and jetting through the waters below.

"You know, I was standing right here when my father told me not to follow the path my brother took."

"Oh?"

"I really let him down."

A couple of birds fluttered across the treetops nearby. The waters lapped against the poles of the wharf and moved with a steady undulation, golden, liquid, and precious in the waning sunlight.

"No, I don't think so."

"Practically," Sasuke said with a shrug.

"But not."

They both smiled. Naruto picked up a pebble and tossed it into the waters. It plopped pleasantly through the fluid surface.

"You'll never be like Itachi. You're not heartless, Sasuke."

The sat together silent, enjoying each other's company and peaceful world around them. For the moment, there were no kunai flying through the air, no chakra being molded for battle, no fire burning the humble homes of farmers.

"Yeah, but I'm nearly as selfish. You were right. Itachi's a selfish jerk, and I was being the same."

"It's about time you acknowledge reality. I've known you were a selfish jerk since our time at the academy," Naruto said, stretching his hands out behind him and leaning back to look up at the setting sun.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"No problem," Naruto smiled impishly.

The both looked up at the changing colors in the sky.

"Why have you been holding back?" Naruto asked.

"I guess I didn't want to go all out before that," Sasuke replied.

"But why at the village?"

"I don't know. I just felt a sense of purpose. Like I had to stop what was happening to those villagers fast because I could."

Naruto skipped a pebble across the surface of the golden waters.

"I wish I could've saved my clan the way I helped those villagers. Guess I really was just a completely helpless kid back then."

Naruto's facial expression suddenly changed. He gasped, and his hand came up and grabbed the fabric of his jacket that covered his chest. His face was marked with pain.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide with worry.

"Naruto? Daijobu deska (Are you okay)?"

Naruto gasped for air, his body hunched forward as if he were having a heart attack. Then tears started to pool around his eyes.

"It hurts so much."

Tears streamed down his face from the corners of his eyes.

Sasuke understood. His eyes softened into a sympathetic look.

_Naruto, you always wear your heart on your sleeve._

He couldn't help smiling sadly in response to his friend's current state of grief. Naruto was like a big emotional teddy bear, his feelings always an open book expressed on his face, in his loud voice, in his bright clothes, and his energetic stance.

_You're the one that's full of heart._

Sasuke put a hand on Naruto's shoulder while he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to his spiky-haired friend. Naruto took it and blew a fresh batch of his snot noisily into the cloth.

"Ugh, don't give that back to me."

He watched as Naruto wiped his face. He suddenly remembered something that Naruto had said to him in the fight they had at the waterfall, when Sasuke was on his way to Orochimaru.

_I wondered, Is this what it's like to have a brother?_

Naruto's pained voice played in the Uchiha boy's mind. At that moment, Sasuke wondered the same question. He stood up and ruffled his friend's yellow hair.

"Come on, cry baby, let's go get some ramen."

"I all ready ate," Naruto sniffled.

"Come on, you always have room for ramen."

"I don't feel like ramen."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I…I don't deserve ramen!" Naruto bawled.

"Oh, come on, let's go get ramen anyways."

Sasuke pulled the slobbering Naruto to his feet and started to drag him to the Ichiraku.

_

* * *

Note: I wish this could be animated, too. When I write, the story plays through my mind just like an anime, and I just describe to you what I see. This is how I write my original stuff, too, but when I'm writing this fanfic, it's totally playing through my head like the animation, like I'm watching episodes of Naruto. Can't wait until the fillers are done and the story resumes! Anyone knows how many more filler episodes before the next arc begins? Thanks again for reading and please look forward to Ch.10. Sasusaku coming up!_

_Random Note: Anyone else totally hooked on FFVII Advent Children? The soundtrack kicks rocks: D_


	10. Chapter 10

_Note: Kakashi Gaiden coming up for animation? Woo! I really am sleep deprived! T T hahaha so gomen about a not so well functioning brain. I tried out a different writing method, too, which I don't think I like so much, so I'm going to go back to my old way. But I think the Sasuke-Naruto talk came out pretty cool, and I liked the Naruhina at the beginning. Arigato mina (Thanks everyone) for the encouragement and feedback! As usual, everyone's reviews helped me think of more ideas. Thank you especially for enjoying this fan fic! Knowing people are enjoying it makes it more fun to write and worth all the effort! Poor Naruto, but yay for the friendship with Sasuke! As promised, here's some SasuSaku!_

* * *

All The Difference 10

Sasuke's steps echoed off of the pavement of the Konoha streets. All around him, the world was busy and bustling, vendors hawking their goods, customers bargaining down prices, people on their way here and there, but all Sasuke could hear was the echo of his own feet against the pavement, as if he were walking in a different dimension all together and only a shadow of him appeared in this world. He had often felt this way in Konoha, ever since his clan was slaughtered.

In his dimension, no one was there, no one but him. He was lost in his thoughts.

_Is this my home? _

His eyes raised from the white, concrete that he walked on to the living world around him, watching as they all floated by him like a dream.

_Okaerinasai (Welcome home)._

The image and sound of Sakura welcoming him home had been haunting him since the day he arrived. Home. His home was destroyed a long time ago, crushed under the weight of his brother's ambitions. Was Konoha really his home?

At that moment, he felt like he did back at the BBQ restaurant with everyone there talking with each other and laughing. He felt disconnected from this place, a stranger to a land everyone else called home.

Sasuke remembered Kiba's acknowledgement.

_Sasuke, it's good to have you back!_

Shikamaru's voice ran through his mind.

_Ah, you're a Konoha ninja, one of us. Even if it's troublesome, I wanted to do it._

There were moments, when he was with Sakura, with Naruto, and everyone else, where he felt like he belonged. Sasuke sighed. But his home had been destroyed long ago.

Itachi. He had been on his way to slay Itachi and avenge his family when he ran into Naruto. Sasuke knew he had grown strong enough to face his brother, or else Orochimaru wouldn't have let him go. Sasuke knew he was too precious to Orochimaru's plans. All Sasuke wanted to do was complete his revenge as he tracked down his brother. But seeing Naruto again and hearing everything his friend had to say had awoken in him the other part of his life, the memories of his times with Team 7 in Konoha, those parts of him that weren't consumed by the drive for vengeance. Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi sensei…and all the others who had gone after him even though he'd stayed aloof from all of them. They risked their lives for his sake. People had thought of him while he was gone, even missed him. And Naruto had made him realize that if he continued on the path he was on, it would most likely lead him back to Konoha as its destroyer.

_It doesn't matter if Konoha is my home or not. I refuse to come back as its destroyer._ Sasuke thought adamantly.

He held out his hands in front of him, palms up. He'd gotten stronger, much stronger, and powerful under the tutelage of Orochimaru who had run him through incessant training, trying to make the most of lost time, Sasuke realized after awhile. He had read the tell tale signs. He could see with his Sharingan through Orochimaru's jutsu, a gruesome technique that allowed him to take over another person's body. Sasuke figured out he would have been the next if he had made it there on time, if the others hadn't come for him and delayed his arrival. At the time, he didn't care, he just wanted to get stronger, so that he could avenge his family by killing his brother.

He stopped in his tracks and looked up to his right. He saw a modest home of white walls with friendly windows surrounded by a few cheerful, potted plants. Sakura's home. Inside, he heard the clinking and clanking of pots and pans of someone who was busily making a noontime meal.

Sasuke looked up at the sky, realizing that he had spent the morning wandering around aimlessly, deep in thought, and somehow, his feet had carried him to Sakura's doorstep. No, he had wanted to ask Sakura something, to ask her why she had welcomed him home. It seemed like such a pointless question, though. What kind of answer did he expect? She would probably say, 'This is your home because all your friends are here' or 'because you belong here' or 'because you were born here.' Sasuke sighed. What sort of answer was he really looking for anyways?

He turned away from her house and continued on his way.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He looked up to see Sakura walking straight towards him, her short pink hair bobbing cheerfully behind her.

"Sakura-chan, ohayou (morning)."

"It's not morning anymore," she stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled. She was different now around him, more relaxed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just out for a walk."

"I just came from training with Tsunade-sama. Have you eaten yet?"

"Uh, no, not yet."

"Why don't you join my mom and me for lunch?"

"Oh, um, no, it's all right."

"Oh, come on, it's just lunch. Afterwards, you can go back to wandering the streets aimlessly."

He gave her a look that asked how she knew he had been wandering the streets.

"It's says 'aimless' all over your face," she answered with an impish glint in her turquoise eyes, "Come on, I know you're not going anywhere, so you can't get out of this."

She grabbed his wrist before he could protest again and dragged him into her house.

"Okaasan (Mother)! We have a guest for lunch."

"Oh?"

Sasuke allowed himself to be dragged by Sakura around a corner and into the kitchen. There he saw an older, motherly version of Sakura tending a hot stove with a white apron wrapped around her body. She was stirring something in a large pot while something else was sizzling in a pan next to it. The rich smells of home cooking permeated the air and Sasuke couldn't help but relax a bit as he took a whiff of the pleasant aromas. There was something sadly familiar about the whole scene. The last time he was in a kitchen full of such smells was the last time he had eaten a meal cooked by his mother. His eyes softened a bit at her revived memory.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, nice to see you again."

He looked up at her a bit startled, _Again?_

"Konnichiha (hello)," Sasuke said politely.

"You've gotten tall! You're as tall as your mother! Soon you'll be past your father, I'm sure of it!"

"You knew my parents?"

"Your mother and I used to see each other at the market all the time. She was such a great cook. In fact, you picked the perfect day to stop by! Sakura, help me with this."

Sakura went over to her mother while Sasuke took a seat at the kitchen table. Sakura began setting the table and serving the food. Sasuke felt his stomach rumble as the plate of fish swimming in sauce was placed in front of him with a bowl of white, fluffy rice, and another bowl of hot, steaming soup.

"Sasuke-kun, can you pour some water for the three of us?"

"Ah," Sasuke responded to the cook's request as he took the pitcher from her and filled each cup to the brim with ice cold water. Droplets of condensed water began to form on the surface of the glasses and glisten in the sunlight that poured in through the windows.

"You're mother and I used to swap recipes all the time, so I think you'll like the fish today," Sakura's mother said with a warm smile as she and Sakura sat down at the kitchen table with him.

"Itadakimasu (expression of gratitude before meals)," Sakura said, clapping her hands together.

"It… itadakimasu," Sasuke said awkwardly after Sakura, making the same hand gesture. It had been years since he had said that in a cozy family kitchen full of life, having had most of his meals alone or aloof from a crowd. Sitting at that small table in the modest kitchen with just two other companions gave him no room to be aloof.

He grabbed his chopsticks, picked up some of the fish on the plate in front of him and placed it onto his rice, the dark, red-brown sauce dripping all over his rice. Then he held the bowl of rice up to his mouth and began to scoop rice, fish, and sauce into his mouth. As soon as his taste buds got a chance to fully take in the flavor of what he was eating, he froze, the food sitting un-chewed in his mouth.

Sakura was all ready ravenously helping herself to another piece of fish when she noticed Sasuke frozen in the seat next to her. Sakura's mom smiled at him. She had been looking at him expectantly this whole time.

"Recognize it?"

He looked over at Sakura's mother's large, turquoise eyes. He nodded his head as he finished chewing and swallowed.

"You're mother's special sauce. She said it was your favorite. I guess it passed the test?"

Sasuke nodded as he helped himself to more. Sakura's mother beamed. Sakura looked down at the new piece of fish she had plopped in her bowl, a dish she had enjoyed on numerous occasions. She never knew it was a recipe of Sasuke's mother.

As Sasuke ate, he willed himself to calm down. Inside, he felt his chest trembling as he ate mouthful after mouthful of the painfully familiar food. He missed his mother so much. He had thought he'd never be able to eat her cooking again.

After the meal, Sasuke and Sakura helped clean up. When they were about to leave, Sakura's mother handed Sasuke a medium-sized bottle full of the red-brown sauce.

"Here, this way you can have some at home whenever you feel like it. Just bring it back when it's empty and I'll fill it back up for you," Sakura's mother smiled warmly.

"I know you're mother would be so proud of you if she could see you today. You've grown up to be such a fine ninja. Sakura told me how you all helped that poor village on your mission the other day," Sakura's mom said with slightly misty eyes, and then added, "You look so much like her."

"A…arigato (thank you)," Sasuke managed to squeeze out.

"Come back and visit anytime," she said, as she closed the door behind them. Out of their sight, she dabbed the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath.

Outside, Sasuke was staring down at the bottle he held in his hand. He gripped it tightly.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Sakura smiled at him.

"I have to run back to Tsunade-sama's office. I'll catch you later," Sakura waved as she made to take off in a trot. As she turned, she felt Sasuke's hand grasp her wrist. She turned back around, looking first down at his hand holding her arm and then up into his deep, dark eyes.

"Sakura, thanks, it was a great lunch."

"Douitashimashite (You're welcome)," Sakura replied with a hint of mock formality and a bright smile.

Sasuke wanted to get something off his chest. He had learned the hard way that people who were important to you could be gone in an instant, that life was short and you couldn't take anyone for granted. He had taken his parents for granted; he never told them how much he they meant to him. He wished he had been more like Naruto back then, with heart on his sleeve. He was sure that if Naruto had had a family, his yellow haired friend would have made sure they knew how important they were to him every day.

"Sakura…when I bumped into Naruto in the forest before I came back, he told me that Itachi had hurt someone important to him. I didn't know about Hinata then, so I thought it was you. Part of the reason I came back was to see if you were okay. I'm really glad you are."

Sakura blushed.

"A…arigato, Sasuke-kun, for worrying about me."

"No…thank you for worrying about me."

He gave here a sincere smile, which she returned shyly with red cheeks.

_Jease, why am I getting all shy and embarrassed all of a sudden! I thought I was over this!_ Sakura berated herself internally.

"Matane (see you later)," Sasuke said with a warm smile, a pleasant breeze weaving itself around them, causing their hair and clothes to wave and rustle in unison. Then he released her wrist, turned, and walked away.

Sakura was left standing there speechless, her face burning bright red as a flurry of feelings churned incessantly inside of her.

* * *

When Sasuke arrived back at his apartment, he pulled out a spoon from a drawer and poured a dollop of the sauce onto it. Then he popped the spoon into his mouth, put the bottle of sauce away in his fridge, and walked towards his window. He saw his own translucent reflection in it, the new forehead protector with the Konoha symbol glimmering in the inflow of sunlight. He looked over at his dresser where his old one lay, the Konoha symbol scratched out from his battle with Naruto. He would keep that to remind him of that path, the path he stepped off of.

Spoon still in mouth, he opened the window and looked out on the view. In the distance he saw the symbol of the Uchiha clan in full sunlight, a large red fan gracing the top of a police station. He smiled. His family's legacy was alive and well in this village. Their spirits and memories still lived on in the hearts of the people here. He carried that honor with him and with all of his friends here. The smiling faces of all his peers and teachers flashed through his thoughts; the great game they had the other day playing through his mind. In just the few weeks of being back, he had made so many new memories.

He looked down at a picture frame that lay flat and dusty on the window sill. Picking it up and blowing the dust off out through the open window, he put it standing up, revealing a picture of Team 7, bright, colorful, and full of life. Then he smiled because he realized he was indeed home.

* * *

Naruto walked down the street with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Over his eyes was tied a thick, black cloth. Onlookers stared at him as he went along, wondering what would have possessed him to blind fold himself so randomly on such a beautiful, sunny day.

He walked up to the front steps of central office building that housed the Hokage's office. As he reached up to open the front door, the knob turned and the door swung open. Out stepped Hyuuga Neji.

"Oi, Neji, what's up?"

Neji gave his friend a raised eyebrow in response.

"What are you doing Naruto?"

"Training."

"Training?"

"Yeah. I wasn't born with a byakuugan like you, so I'm training my extended perception."

"Oh, so desu ne (I see)."

_Why do you have that stupid blind fold over your eyes?_

The Kyubi growled inside him.

_You look like a moron._

"If I do this, I'll get better at sensing my surroundings! This way, I'll only hit targets I intend to hit!" Naruto said with a fury.

_Why do you have to feel all that pain for that little girl? She probably would have been killed anyways. Who cares. What difference does it make?_

"I care!"

_Just because you killed her? Who cares? What does it matter?_

"I get to live on and enjoy each day. It's only right that I should do something to learn a lesson from what happened, for her sake, so that her death isn't meaningless! I'm going to make sure it never happens again!"

_Hmph, all that pain just for some stupid, useless little girl._

"Listen you spoiled brat! You can't go around enjoying yourself and not care about other people! If you have a right to enjoy life, so does everyone else!" Naruto scolded.

_Psh._

The Kyubi turned its back to the gates. Naruto fumed.

"Why you…"

"Uh, Naruto?"

Naruto suddenly broke from his conversation with the Kyubi inside him.

"Oh, hehehehe, Neji, gomen (sorry), I forgot you were there," Naruto said with a hand behind his head.

"Um, who were you talking to just now?"

"Oh, was that out loud? Hahahahaha," Naruto laughed nervously, "Ano (um), I was just talking to my…inner demon."

"Ah," Neji replied, "I have conversations with my inner demon, too."

"YOU DO?" Naruto said, his eyes wide in disbelief behind the blind fold.

"Yes, I guess everyone has a bad side they have to deal with, an inner demon their trying to change. I know I do," Neji said thoughtfully.

"Oh, you mean…ah, hahahaha, yeah, everyone does…hahahaha."

"Well, ganbatte (keep at it) with your inner demon, Naruto," Neji said with a smile.

"Ah, hahahha, thanks, uh, you, too," Naruto laughed nervously again.

"Bai," Neji said as he walked off. Naruto held up a hand to say goodbye. When he heard Neji's footsteps fade away, he let his hand drop as he let out a sigh.

"One day, I'm going have to tell everyone…"

He walked into the building.

Naruto went up to the door at the end of the hallway. He put his hand on the cold door knob, turned it, and flung open the door to the sound of Hyuuga Hiashi's droning voice.

"Hiashi sensei! You called for me?" Naruto said loudly with a brilliant smile. A group of serious looking men and women dressed in dark ceremonial robes turned to look at the bright orange, blind-folded ninja that just barged in on their meeting.

"Hai (Yes), Naruto, could you please wait outside?"

"Ossu (Yes sir)!" Naruto barged out as noisily as he barged in.

The rest of the people in the room gave Hyuuga Hiashi a puzzled look. They had never seen him tolerate such behavior before. Normally, he would stare down someone who interrupted his speech until they cowered away leaving a trail of apologies. Instead, he almost welcomed the outburst, as if he had been expecting it, and he almost, dare they imagine, smiled when the loud boy burst into the room.

Hiashi finished up what he was saying, then excused the disoriented members of the meeting who filed out of the room throwing the yellow-haired ninja bewildered looks, and some of them recognized him.

"Jinchuriki (name for a person sealed with a Biju or tailed demon)…"

Naruto heard them mutter. He stood with his hands behind his head leaning his back against the wall in a relaxed posture. He threw them a sideways look of irritation through his blindfold.

"What does Hyuuga-sama want with the Jinchuriki?" another whisper reached his ear.

"Che," Naruto sounded in disgust.

"Naruto," Hiashi sensei called.

Naruto jumped back into the room.

"Naruto, why are you blindfolded?"

"Training!" Naruto said with exuberance as he pointed his thumb at himself.

Hiashi sensei understood. He knew about what happened, about the accident. Immediately he deducted why Naruto was engaged in this type of training.

"Ah, so desu ne (I see). Hm, this is the best way to obtain byakuugan like abilities."

Naruto beamed.

"Then Naruto, you may be perfect for the request I have to ask of you."

"What is it? Hiashi sensei?"

"You know that Hinata asked me to train her to fight off the Uchiha psychological torture attack that she endured."

"Mmh," Naruto affirmed, suddenly striking a serious tone.

"Well, unfortunately, there is no way to counter that attack, not with byakuugan or any techniques that I know anyways. Plus, byakuugan is the weakest against that sort of attack."

Naruto's mouth fell open. This couldn't be. So is Hinata completely helpless against that attack forever?

"However, there is a way to disable a sharingan user before that psychological attack can begin. That's where I need your help. No, that's where Hinata needs your help. I've been training her to do a technique that can temporarily blind an opponent."

Naruto's burst out in a smile, and his arm shot up in the air.

"I volunteer to train with her!"

_Ha, before I even asked…what a high spirited ninja, _Hiashi thought with a silent laugh.

"The attack has different levels. At the basic level, it causes temporary blindness. At an extreme level, it can take out all of an opponent's senses leaving him disoriented. Worst case scenario, you could lose one of your senses, such as vision…permanently. I wanted you to be aware of the risks before you agreed to do this."

"I all ready agreed!" Naruto shouted as he raised his hand up even higher.

"So desu (I see)."

He knew he wouldn't be disappointed by Naruto's bravery.

"All right then, meet us at the Hyuuga training grounds at sunrise tomorrow morning."

"Hai (Yes)!" Naruto yelled.

_

* * *

Note: I finally started watching some of the fillers (yay!). I'm also reading through the manga from the beginning. Thanks for reading! More Sasusaku and Naruhina coming up!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Note: Okay, this officially marks this sequel as having more chapters than Awakenings. Yay! It's been fun! More coming up! Thanks for reading! Oh, and check out my profile page forlinks to a Naruhina AMV I found and to a new music video from my fav band Random Ninjas! Rawk on Narutards!_

* * *

All The Difference 11

Naruto walked with Hinata up the winding path to the large doors of the Hyuuga training grounds. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course! This is going to be training for both of us!"

He gave her the thumbs up, and she gave him an uncertain smile. Hinata felt so torn. This training would help her becoming stronger, especially against Itachi's psychological torture attack, which would make Naruto happy and not as worried. But to test the technique on her Naruto…she shook her head and drew her arms in closer to her body. Naruto stopped and turned towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him.

"Hinata," he said, seeing the worry clearly expressed on her face and through her body language, "daijobu desu (it's all right). I'll be fine. This will make me stronger, too."

Hinata didn't look reassured. He put up his hand and pointed his pinky finger at her.

"Aishiteru (I love you), remember?" he said with a bright smile.

Hinata smiled. She raised her hand and hooked her little pink finger around his in a symbolic gesture of promise.

"Aishiteru," she returned in her soft voice, an equally bright smile on her face.

He released her pinky and slid his hand brushing across her cheek and behind her head, pulling her face towards his. He kissed her forehead, then looked into her eyes.

"Everything will be all right," he said in tenderly. Hinata's heart pounded and her face burned with fever. She suddenly felt shy, as if they had just met and she was being swept away by him.

"Sa, let's go," he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door of the training grounds.

Pushing the large doors opened, Naruto was surprised to find Neji and Tenten inside along with Hiashi.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

"They're here to train as well," Hiashi answered for them. "I've been training both Hinata and Neji together on the same technique. Tenten has agreed to train with Neji."

"Cool!" Naruto said as he held out his fist to Tenten and Neji who knocked their fists against his, the growing morning light illuminating their smiling faces.

"All right, let us begin."

At the sound of Hiashi's voice, the four young nins lined up and looked attentively at their sensei.

"Hinata and Neji have been training on this technique with me for the last two weeks. We are actually at the final stage of the training, which is why I have asked the two of you," he looked at Naruto and Tenten, "to assist. This technique is known as the Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun) and has been passed down for generations in the Hyuuga family. Although the name indicates that this technique only attacks sight, this technique can cause a full disruption of all the senses, in effect cutting off a person from the external world. It uses the Hyuuga byakuugan capability to see and attack the nervous system that sends the signals of the senses to the brain with surgical precision. In effect, it is a high level genjutsu attack, similar to the Uchiha clan's technique. The reason it is named as an attack on sight is because the ability to attack sight and sight alone, especial with only temporary consequences, requires the highest level of chakra control. An uncontrolled version of the attack will cut off a person's senses completely and even permanently, a devastating consequence for the victim. That is why I have asked you, Tenten, and you, Naruto, to participate in this exercise. Although I am sure that Neji and Hinata would not want to hurt anyone, the stakes are much higher for them because they will be mastering this technique on someone very dear to them. This situation is best for optimal results."

Hiashi-sama paused for a moment, then added, "I myself mastered this technique with my wife as the target."

The four young ninja's eyes grew wide with astonishment and awe.

"I believe that Neji and Hinata having enough chakra control to master this technique today. However, only their performance can say for sure whether or not they are at a high enough chakra control level. If successful, the blindness will only last a day or two at the most. Face your target."

Neji took his place and looked at Tenten. Hinata stepped in front of Naruto and slowly raised her timid eyes up to look into the bright blue eyes of her beloved, eyes that matched the color of the beautiful bright sky above him, limitless and full of hope and life. Both Neji and Hinata began with an expression of earnest, their souls shaking inside at the potential amount of damage they could do to the person that stood in front of them, a person that meant the world to them.

Simultaneously, Naruto and Tenten burst out into smiles, raising their hands up in front of them and giving their respective partners a thumbs up sign.

"Ganbatte (Go for it)!" they both said.

Both Neji and Hinata smiled, their trembling souls solidifying into resolve. They would not waste the risk Tenten and Naruto were willing to take for their sake.

The two Hyuuga youths took deep breaths, evening out their breathing into a steady rhythm, then hyper-activated their byakuugan. The looked straight into the eyes of their targets. The sounds of birds fluttering and chirping reached them from the trees, the clear sky hung above them with the occasional white, fluffy cloud floating by. Hiashi stood to the side, watching the entire scene intently

"Genwaku Hyuuga!"

The heads of both Naruto and Tenten flung backwards, as if they had been struck in the forehead by a fist. Then both of their hands came instinctively up to their faces, as if they were recovering from the shock of a physical strike to the head. Hinata and Neji were immediately upon them.

"Are you all right?" Neji's concerned voice trembled slightly.

"Can you hear me?" Hinata's soft voice asked, barely a whisper.

Naruto and Tenten were shaking their heads as if trying to shake off dizziness. Then they looked up and blinked. They turned left to right and looked as if they were searching for something while all the while blinking constantly. Their eyes were still the same bright colors of brown and blue.

Neji grabbed Tenten's hand, and Hinata touched Naruto's face.

"Can you feel this?" they both said full of worry.

"I'm all right," Naruto finally said.

"Yeah, me, too," Tenten added.

"I can hear you fine," Naruto said.

"I can feel your hand on mine," Tenten replied.

"I just can't see anything," both Naruto and Tenten said simultaneously.

Hinata and Neji let out a breath of relief that they had been holding in since the end of the execution of the Genwaku Hyuuga.

"Excellent. Hinata, Neji, you have now mastered the Genwaku Hyuuga," Hiashi said.

"WOOOO!" Naruto yelled with a punch in the air.

"Congratulations!" Tenten said smiling.

Both Hinata and Neji laughed with relief, breathing hard with a few drops of sweat coming down their foreheads as if they had just run a 100 yard dash.

"Now," Hiashi interrupted the celebrations, "It's time for Tenten and Naruto to train."

Hinata and Neji nodded. They lead Tenten and Naruto into the forest area of the training grounds and jumped up into the trees. For the rest of the morning, Naruto and Tenten dodged kunai in their sightless condition.

* * *

Sasuke walked up the road that leads to the building where the Hokage's office was housed. It was mid morning, and he had seen something in the mirror that he resolved to get rid of today. In his reflection, he had seen the ominous presence of Orochimaru's cursed mark on the back of his left shoulder next to his neckline. As long as he had that, he was branded with Konoha's destruction, a price too high to pay, even if it meant avenging his clan's destruction with the death of his brother. He would rid himself of this cursed seal, even if it meant he would lose the power of its demonic release, a defining power that gave him the ability to kill his own powerful brother. He looked up at the people around him. They no longer floated past him like apparitions from another dimension. They laughed and moved with life, breathing the same peaceful air he breathed, smiling under the same sun he basked in.

He planned to ask the 5th Hokage to remove the cursed seal. If anyone could do it, it would be her. His hand reached up to open the front door to the building when it suddenly opened by itself. Skipping back to avoid being struck in the face by the opening door, Sasuke watched as Sakura burst out into the daylight.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Sakura, I was…I was just going to ask the 5th for a favor."

"Oh, she's in the middle of an emergency surgery. I was supposed to train with her this morning, but now I'll be training by myself. What did you need from her?"

"I…uh…I wanted to ask her if she would be able to remove this bruise from my back."

Sasuke expected Sakura's face to fall into worry as it always did when the cursed seal Orochimaru had put on him came up. She had been there when it happened after all. Instead, Sakura burst out into a full smile the way rays of sunshine burst through dark clouds after a heavy rain.

"I'm sure the 5th can help you with that! I've been asking her all kinds of questions about it, and she sure seems to know all about it! She and Orochimaru were on the same team after all. Did you know that? Sannin, right? It was her, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. The 3rd was their teacher…"

"Uh…Sakura," Sasuke cut off her burst of energetic loquaciousness, "since you've asked her about it and she's busy right now…would you mind taking a look at it?"

Sakura was a bit startled.

"Ano (um), sure, if you don't mind. I mean, I probably wouldn't be able to remove it or anything. I'm not that advanced yet, but I can probably find out something about it and how it's affecting your body…"

Sakura reached out to pull back the high collar of Sasuke's blue shirt. Sasuke's hand came up and grabbed hers.

"Um, not here."

"Oh, okay, where then?" she blinked.

He looked from left to right.

"Follow me," he said and turned, letting go of her hand.

"Okay…"

"There's a place I've been meaning to visit for awhile. It's probably the best place where we can get some privacy."

"Okay…"

In her head, Sakura was busily reviewing over what Tsunade had taught her and all the books she had poured over in the medical library during Sasuke's absence, trying to learn everything she could about the cursed seal. She searched her mind, looking for information applicable to the task at hand.

* * *

Sakura looked around at the decrepit, abandoned buildings in the ghost town that used to be the heart of the bustling, thriving Uchiha clan life. The symbol of the red fan marked the walls, the doorways, and deteriorating cloth.

_How horrible…_Sakura thought quietly to herself.

"Nobody will bother us here. It's a ghost town now, as you can see," Sasuke said.

Sasuke kept walking up the main street, and Sakura followed. Sakura's eyes took in everything she could, and they fell on one of the Uchiha clan red fan symbols on a wall. It was one of a series of the symbol that formed a line across one of the low walls. This one, though was cracked, as if someone had deliberately embedded a sharp object right into its center in an act of malice.

"My brother, Itachi, did that," Sasuke said as he followed her gaze and saw the broken symbol, and then he added, "…and this was my house."

Sakura turned to look upon a medium sized home, rather larger than her own, that was done with very traditional architecture. The once bright roof tiles were faded and cracked and the thick paper that covered the windows was ripped and decaying.

Sasuke walked on. Sakura stood for awhile staring at the home, a sadness wrenching at her heart. She turned to look at Sasuke's back as he walked on, not even giving a second glance back at the place where he was once lived as a happy child. Her eyes softened sadly. She would never be able to look at him the same way again. She remembered what he had said to her long ago when they were fresh out of the academy, about how the pain of being alone was far worse than a scolding from a parent. The full impact of his words struck her now as she walked in the streets of his destroyed family and looked upon the broken remains of his home. She felt that for once, she could truly catch a glimpse of his pain. The image of the cool guy in school that all the girls liked, the famous Uchiha boy that everyone went to see at the Chuunin exams, melted away like a mirage in the distance, and what she saw in the place of all those shallow images was a growing young man who painfully carried the burdens of an unspeakable childhood trauma…alone.

She glanced down at the ground, looking away from him as if she felt she was intruding upon his solitude and grief, inwardly deriding herself for even thinking she could ever comprehend what he had gone through. Then she followed him.

They arrive at the end of the main road which led up into a forest covered hill. On the hillside, she realized, were graves. In the center, there was a small building. Sasuke and Sakura walked up to the entrance. Sakura stepped a bit forward into the room. Inside, the light came in from a series of slits at the top of all four walls in the room. In the center of the room was a picture of the large red fan. Around the room, she saw rows and rows of names etched in black letters into wood, names of the deceased Uchiha clan members. She bit her lower lip when she noticed that a large number of the names had the same date of death.

Sasuke sat down on the steps that led up into the memorial.

"I'm ready."

Sakura turned at the sound of his voice and watched as he pulled his shirt over his head, taking it off and offering her a full view of the cursed seal that had plagued her nightmares for the past two and a half years.

_Two and a half years…that means we only have 6 months…until…_

She willed away her fears and replaced it with resolve.

_We'll get rid of this long before Orochimaru comes for him._

With that, she walked up to Sasuke and put her hands hovering over the cursed seal, one hand over the other.

"I'm beginning."

"Ah," Sasuke acknowledged.

With her chakra and medical nin skills, she examined the ominous bruise. After awhile, she found herself shifting the focus of her examination away from the bruise. Then she gasped and stopped.

"What is it?" He turned to look at her shocked face.

"It's not localized."

Sasuke gave her a questioning look and shook his head slightly to indicate that he didn't know what she meant.

"I had thought that the bruise would be the only place where I would find any abnormalities. But…but it's all over your body," she said with a pained look on her face.

"I remember seeing it activate and spreading across your body, but then it would retreat and go back to this spot when you went back to normal. So I thought it would just be in one place. But, your whole body, possibly ever cell in your body, is affected, changed somehow, and when the seal is release, it must activate those changes to manifest more intensely…"

"So…desu ne...(I…see…)" Sasuke said slowly. He was dismayed at the news, but at the same time not too surprised.

_This won't be easy to remove…it might not be removable at all…_

Sakura felt that a look of horror was creeping across her face so she quickly wiped it away. She laughed nervously, trying to sound cheerful.

"Daijobu (It's okay)! I'm sure Tsunade-sama will be able to get rid of it for you! She's the best medical ninja in the world! We're really lucky to have her here. Chouji and Neji wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for her and Shizune-sama…"

"Chouji and Neji's lives wouldn't have been at risk if I hadn't left…"

For a moment, they were both silent.

"Ah…" Sakura said with a falling tone.

Sasuke held his hands palms up. He looked down at the lines that marked them.

"It was too high a price to pay…what was I thinking…I didn't want to be Itachi's puppet, but I only became someone else's…in the end I really just royally screwed up everything."

"No," Sakura answered without hesitation.

Sasuke turned to look at her. She was crouched behind him, her turquoise eyes glimmered, large and friendly, a sad smile gracing her face.

"You came back…"

Sasuke felt absorbed into her eyes, as if he could swim in their sparkling depths and cleanse himself of all his sins.

"…and that's going to make all the difference."

Sasuke looked away from her at the ground, feeling ashamed.

"You'll see," Sakura added as plopped herself down next to him.

They sat there for awhile in silence in the shade of the forest trees surrounded by the graves of the Uchiha clan members. A few streams of sunlight stole their way through the thick foliage and played upon the last member of that once great and still legendary clan. He sat there looking up at the few sparkling spots that allowed the blue sky to peak through the darkness, with eyes that he knew were poisoned with Orochimaru's blood. He felt his own body wasn't even his anymore.

"I remember you said you had two ambitions in life," Sakura broke the silence, "One was to kill you brother, and the other was to revive your clan."

Sasuke sat silent. What could he revive with a poisoned body? What good was the Uchiha legacy if it's only going to be used for Orochimaru's twisted ambitions?

"Why don't you start by rebuilding this place. We can start with your house."

Sasuke still didn't respond.

Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on, let's go. I wanna look inside and see what we can do. And for goodness sakes put on your shirt. You'll catch a cold like that," Sakura scolded.

They trotted back down the main road with Sakura dragging a reluctant Sasuke by the hand. When they reached his old home, Sakura let go of his hand and pulled open the door without hesitation, yanking it to slide over all the rust and dust that had built up over the years of neglect.

She went inside followed by a quiet Sasuke.

"Is this where your mom cooked all of her delicious food?"

She opened every window available to let in air and light on the old, dusty kitchen. She opened the old refrigerator.

"WHEW! What a smell! I'm sure your mom would never let it get like this."

Sasuke still stood silent. His eyes took in the site of the kitchen. It was unrecognizable to him.

"You know, sometimes I try to remember her face and I have a hard time remembering what it looks like exactly. I guess it's hard to keep an old memory alive…"

Sasuke could hardly separate his real memories from the bloody nightmare his brother had implanted into his mind. Sometimes, that memory, the scenes of everyone he cared about being murdered, seemed more real to him that his own memories. He tried to remember his mother the way he saw her every day, not the vision of her being slaughtered by his brother.

Sakura looked at him as he looked wistfully at the kitchen sink, as if he could see a ghost of his mother's form standing there preparing a meal.

Sakura's eyes softened.

"Sasuke-kun," she ventured, "Tsunade-sama taught me some techniques for psychological healing. It's what I used to heal Hinata when she was attacked by Itachi. I…I can help you remember her face if you want."

Sasuke looked at her with disbelieving eyes. Medical ninjas were quite amazing.

"The only thing is, I'd be able to see it, too, so if you don't mind…"

There was a silence where Sasuke looked like his was busy processing what she had said. Sakura held her breath.

"No, I don't mind. I'd like to give it a try," Sasuke replied finally with a sad smile.

"It helps that we're here. There's a lot here that will prime your mind for the memory."

"How much can I remember?"

"Depends on how much you want to remember."

"What do I do?"

"Where are you usually when you come in?"

"I used to walk in through here when I come home."

"Okay, that's a good starting point then."

Sakura walked across the kitchen to him. She held up her right hand and placed her two fingers, index and middle, against each other, and then the tips of these two fingers up to the middle of his face, slightly above the space right between his eyes. A blue chakra glow began to emanate from that spot.

Sasuke noticed Sakura closing her eyes. He decided to follow suit and closed his own eyes. He stood there for awhile with his eyes closed, waiting for something to happen. Finally, out of curiosity, he opened them and gasped when he realized he was looking on the kitchen of his childhood, exactly the way he remembered it. It was clean, tidy, and the sounds and smells of cooking filled the air. He heard the clanking of dishes and the turning off of running water. He turned to look at the back of his mother's form, turned away from him and busy with cooking, as if she'd never stopped doing so all this time.

"Sasuke-kun! Okaerinasai (Welcome home)!"

"Ta…tadaima (I'm home)," Sasuke replied, trying to overcome his shock. It was as his mother had come back to life.

"You're just in time for an afternoon snack. Are you hungry?"

"Hai…Okaasan (Mother)," his lips felt rusty as they formed the word he hadn't uttered in so long.

He went and took a seat at the table the way he always did. He looked up at his mother just in time to see her turn around revealing a full view of her smiling, warm, and loving face. She looked down at her son adoringly and placed a plate of gyoza (fried dumplings) and a cup of hot green tea down in front of him. He stared transfixed on her visage. Before she could retrieve her hands, he grabbed one of them. His jaw dropped a bit when he realized he could touch her.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

She put a hand up to his forehead to feel his temperature, then brushed aside some of the hair from his face as she cupped his cheek.

"You feel all right."

She pulled away and went back to busying herself with her cooking. Sasuke just stared at her, barely able to contain himself.

Suddenly, his father walked into the room.

"Oh, Sasuke, you're home all ready?"

Sasuke's father took his seat at the table. Sasuke looked at him in total disbelief. Then his mother sat down at the table, too, with a tray of gyoza and tea. They started to eat.

"What's wrong Sasuke? Why aren't you eating?" his father asked in a commanding voice.

Silently, Sasuke picked up his chopsticks, grabbed one of the dumplings between them, and took a bite. It tasted just like he remembered. He sat there and ate with his parents, as if nothing had ever happened. As the meal was finished, his eyes watered and their images and the kitchen began to blur from the tears forming pools in his eyes. He blinked, letting the tears stream down his face. When his eyes opened and his vision cleared, he was staring again at the dirty, dusty, unused kitchen again. It didn't look as foreign to him as it had when he had first stepped inside just a few moments ago.

Then he saw Sakura's pink hair, her large turquoise eyes were watery. She smiled sadly.

"You really do look a lot like her…" she said as a few tears streamed down her cheeks.

"A…arigato Sakura-chan," Sasuke said, wiping his wet face with his wrist, "that was… unbelievable."

They stepped out into the sunlight. Sasuke stood for a moment in front of his old home and stared at the wall in front of him with the cracked Uchiha clan symbol. At that moment, he resolved to fix that wall and repaint the symbol.

"Sa, why don't we make a list of materials we need and go to the store," Sakura said cheerfully.

"Ah," Sasuke replied as Sakura pulled out a pad of paper and pen.

* * *

Unlike years past, the clinking of chopsticks against the porcelain wasn't the only sound in the Hyuuga mansion dining room. Mixed in with those peaceful regularities were lively conversations coupled with the occasional outburst of laughter. Sitting on pillows atop grass tatami matting was quite a crowd. Along with Hinata's immediate family, Neji and Tenten sat at one end and Naruto sat at her side. Naruto's and Tenten's movements were of fairly regular speed, but it was obvious that each time they reached with their chopsticks for a new piece of salmon or were about to put food in their mouths, they were in a rather heightened state of concentration. Often they weren't quite looking directly at the person they were speaking to. Hinata and Neji had to restrain themselves from personally taking over the task of feeding their respective partners. This, after all, was part of Naruto and Tenten's training.

"You mean Hiashi-sensei taught you the Hidden Kunai, too?" Naruto said, a bit indignant.

"Yes," Neji answered simply.

"So, um…how long did it take you to master it?" Naruto probed.

"Oh, about a week," Neji said in a matter-of-fact manner.

Naruto's face fell.

"How about you?"

Naruto regained his composure.

"Oh, ano, it took me over a month, but you know, I was training with Jiraiya learning some of his sannin skills. You know how it goes…"

"Oh, yes, and what techniques did you learn?" Neji asked genuinely interested.

"Well, it's sort of a secret. I'll show you at the next Chuunin exams," Naruto said, toothy smile in place, a thumbs up shooting up in front of him.

"Yeah, I heard about that, the Chuunin exams are finally going to happen! I'm so excited!" Tenten said.

"I'm SOOOOO tired of being a genin!" Naruto said with emphasis, and then wondered out loud, "Why were they postponed for so long again?"

Hiashi answered his question.

"Because the attack at the last Chuunin exam weakened Konoha. Having another Chuunin exam opens up the borders and uses up our military resources. This leaves Konoha more vulnerable than usual to enemy attacks. That's probably why Orochimaru decided to attack at the last Chuunin exam."

The young genin nodded their heads in understanding.

Naruto burst into a smile.

"So that must mean Konoha is getting pretty strong again, ne?"

Hiashi smiled significantly at Naruto and gave each of the young nins at the table a meaningful look.

"Yes, indeed it has."

"OH YEAH! We're going to show all the other villages how cool we are!" Naruto said with a fire blazing in his eyes.

The other genins smiled in agreement and began animated discussions of who they think might make the rank of Chuunin this time.

"Neji," Hiashi's dignified voice rose above the flow of conversations in the room. Everyone markedly quieted down at this.

"Yes?"

"I've been meaning to ask you to consider moving into the main house."

For one of the few times in Neji's life, he was caught completely off guard. He hadn't seen this one coming in a thousand years.

"Demo (but)…I'm part of the branch family…I can't…"

"I've all ready talked to the branch and the main family. They've agreed to this on one condition."

"What?" Neji had to ask. The suspense was killing him.

"That I teach you everything I know."

Neji's jaw dropped. Everyone at the table was silent. Apparently, this had been Hiashi's little secret and was news to all of them.

"Well? Do you accept the conditions?" Hiashi pressed.

Neji looked like he was about to choke and was finally able to say, "Y-yes. Yes I do."

Tenten put her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Hinata gave him a warm, congratulatory smile.

"It's settled then. I'll send for your things. You'll move in tonight."

Neji started to smile, disbelief still playing on his features.

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama."

"All right! You'd better watch out Neji! I'm not going to lose to a Hyuuga heir! Not to you, or you, or you!" Naruto, in his blindness was pointing wildly at the wrong people. First his finger was pointed towards Tenten, then to Hiashi sensei, and then Hinata's mother. Of course they all knew he had meant for Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi.

Naruto sat back into his seat crossing his arms with a self-satisfied look on his face while the rest of the dinner party tried to stifle their laughter.

"Tenten, Naruto, why don't you spend the night here until your vision returns," Hiashi said.

"Oh, Hyuuga-sama, I couldn't, it's okay," Tenten began to decline.

"I've all ready contacted your parents. They've agreed to it."

Finding that refusal wasn't an option, Tenten acquiesced with a polite nod, "Arigato."

"Naruto?" Hiashi's question was answered with a groan.

"I think I ate too much."

"Naruto? Would you like to stay the night until your vision returns?"

"Huh? Nani (what)?...Oh, yeah! That would be fun!"

"It's all settled then."

Hiashi stood up and the rest of them followed.

"Hinata, why don't you show our guests to their rooms."

"Hai, Otousan (Father)," Hinata complied.

As the genin peers filed down the hall after Hinata and the other family members were taking off in their respective directions, Naruto laid a hand on Neji's shoulder. Neji turned to look at Naruto, wondering what it was that he wanted.

"Ne, Hinata, I forgot where the bathroom was. Where is it? I need to pee!"

In the next moment, Neji's face looked like it was about to burst as he tried to hold back his laughter. Everyone else had frozen in their tracks as well, having heard Naruto's quiet request and turned to see that he was talking to the wrong person.

Neji couldn't hold it anymore; he burst out laughing inciting the rest of the party to do the same. Even Hinata's bell-like laughter could be heard in the cacophony. Naruto's hand came off of Neji's shoulder when he realized his mistake. He placed that hand behind his head and laughed embarrassed.

"Naruto! You can dodge kunai when you're blind but you can't recognize your own girlfriend?" Neji jeered as he laughed, wiping tears that had formed at the edges of his eyes.

"Ah hahahahaha," Naruto gave another embarrassed laugh, "I thought Hinata seemed to have gotten a little taller, hahahahahaha." This brought about a fresh burst of laughter from everyone. Even Hiashi chuckled with an amused smile.

"Oyasuminasai (goodnight)," they all took turns saying goodnight.

As the genin followed Hinata up some wooden steps and to the sleeping quarters, Neji held a hand up to his side. It had been a while since he had laughed like that.

They arrived at a long and wide hallway full of sliding wooden framed doors covered partially with thick paper. Hinata directed them to their rooms.

"This room is for you, Tenten-san. This one over here is your permanent room, Neji-oniisan. Naruto, yours is over here. If you need anything, I'm in that room over there. I'm right next to you, Tenten, to your right when you come out of your room."

"Arigato, Hinata-san."

Tenten and Neji went into their respective rooms.

Hinata took Naruto's hand and lead him over to his room.

"Naruto, if you need anything, my room is right across the hall from yours."

Naruto stood in front of his door in silence.

"Is there something wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Ano (um)…," he put a hand on his chin, "I thought I was going to stay with you in your room."

Naruto couldn't see it, but Hinata's face suddenly turned a deep shade of red. She leaned in to close to his ear with a hand up by her mouth and whispered,

"Ano (um)…I don't think my parents would be comfortable with that…"

"Eh?" Naruto said, clueless as always, "Oh, okay then."

He gave Hinata a hug and said, "Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi," she replied, her face still red.

Naruto went into his room and slid the door closed.

After feeling around the room and changing into some pajamas he found laid out for him on his bed, Naruto lay awake in bed, the blue light of a starry night falling through the window and reflecting off of his blinded eyes.

_I still say you should have killed those two Akatsuki people. You'll probably have to fight them again later. Would've saved you the trouble._

"Not like that."

_I could've taken them out in a cinch, you know, if you would have let me._

"I know, but I don't ever want to enjoy killing."

_Why? In the end it's still killing. What difference does it make?_

"All the difference."

_You're not making any sense to me._

"It's not something I can explain, I guess. You'll just have to see for yourself."

_What? What's the difference that it's going to make?_

"I don't know. I just know, it's the way I want to live my life, and it'll make all the difference in how my life will play out."

_Why don't you just not kill at all then?_

"It's not as easy as that, I guess. If someone's going to threaten to kill or hurt someone, and I have the power to stop that, I can't just stand by and watch. Like I would have killed that Gaara if it meant saving Sakura."

_Yeah, I still don't understand why you didn't just put that guy out of his misery_.

"Because it's a misery I understand. And because Sakura was safe in the end without me having to kill Gaara. And it paid off didn't it? Gaara saved my friend, Fuzzy Eyebrows. If I had killed Gaara, then Fuzzy Eyebrows might not be alive today."

_I still don't understand. Power is power. You can't do anything in this world without power, and you don't get power from being sentimental._

"Ahhh, but maybe there's different kinds of power."

The Kyubi turned over in its cage.

_

* * *

Note: Hahaha, Naruto cracks me up. Hope this was worth the wait, and please look forward to the next one! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!_

_Random Note: I sort of hesitated on watching the fillers at first, but they're pretty good ). I especially like all the Naruhina of course! Hahaha However, the fillers are rather lacking on the action sequence animations though…one of the major reasons why I like the Naruto anime so much. Wonder if they're on low budget right now…o O I wish they would animate some of the scenes from my fanfic, too, hahaha…_


	12. Chapter 12

_Note: Oh, I wanted to clarify that Naruto did actually hit the little girl and kill her by accident. Sorry, when I fix up this story, I'm gonna go back and add more details to that bandit-attacks-village scene. So sorry for any confusion about that! (tinabot no baka) Hmm, this chapter makes a direct reference to my 1st fanfic, Awakenings, so for anyone who hasn't read it, Awakenings Ch. 8 would be good read in order to understand what's being referenced here. Thanks so much for reading again! I'd keep writing this even if only one person was reading and enjoying it, so thank you all so much for enjoying this fanfic and letting me know that you're out there reading!_

* * *

All The Difference 12 

Hiashi sat at the dining table early in the morning with his wife and youngest daughter sipping steaming hot green tea out of a beautiful rough surfaced black tea cup. His wife wore a deep purple kimono with the petals of pink sakura blossoms flying all over its silky surface wrapped in a light violet obi. Like a miniature version of her father, Hanabi wore a nondescript plain black kimono with an equally plain gray obi wrapped around her torso. They sat in the elegant room on the tatami matting, enjoying the peace and quiet of their garden view and the warmth of the tea they drank in the brisk morning air. The pond in the tea garden turned slightly from the movement of the koi fish that played just beneath its sparkling surface. The sun had just peaked over the hills and began spreading the brightness of a new day across the land.

The sound of four sets of footsteps came down the stairs and towards their direction. When the four young genin came into view, Hiashi was quick to inquire about the state of Naruto and Tenten's eyesight.

"Naruto, Tenten, have you regained your—"

Hiashi's sentence was interrupted by a loud crash. The peace and elegance of the morning breakfast at the Hyuuga mansion suddenly paled against the laughter that filled the air. As the four genin were entering the dining room for breakfast, Naruto had turned too soon and walked straight into the delicate, wooden sliding door, smashing open the paper that covered the pattern of squares on the top half of the door.

"Naruto! Are you okay?" Hinata asked genuinely concerned but still with a wry smile on her face. She put a hand on his shoulder as he rubbed his now slightly red forehead.

"Ah hahahaha, yeah, oh sorry about the door. Is it broken?" Naruto's arm came up to feel for the spot where he had smashed into the door.

"Do not worry, Naruto, that can be easily fixed," Hiashi himself responded, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye from the laughing.

"I suppose, Naruto, that you have definitely not regained your eyesight," Hiashi finished, then added, "and you Tenten?"

"No, Hiashi-sama," Tenten replied politely.

"Ah, I see, well, then we have time for some more training this morning then."

"Ossu (Yes sir)!" Naruto said exuberantly punching a fist up into the air that Neji dodged without even blinking an eye.

As they sat down and breakfast was served, Neji looked thoughtfully at Naruto and then turned to Hiashi and said,

"I think today we should play hide and seek. Naruto seems to be able to dodge projectiles but he can't quite grasp his environment in his blinded state."

Hiashi put a hand up to his chin pensively.

"Hmm, that is a most appropriate idea," he conceded.

"Yes, this way, Naruto won't accidentally think I'm Hinata again and try to kiss me or something," Neji added with an impish glint in his eye.

There were some muffled giggles and stifled laughs around the table.

"BLEH! Oh jease! Yeah, the last thing I want to do is accidentally kiss another boy," Naruto expressed, sticking his tongue out in distaste and emphatically swinging his chopsticks around while Hinata dodged it without skipping a beat in her breakfast routine.

"ANOTHER? You mean you accidentally kissed a boy before?" Neji asked, an eyebrow raised. The rest of the party gave Naruto looks of disbelief as well.

"Oh yeah, you all weren't there in the same class as us. Hinata was there, right?" Naruto turned to her. She nodded with a look on her face that said she was trying hard not to laugh at the revived memory.

"Who was it?" Tenten asked with heightened curiosity.

Naruto put his hands behind his head, turned to the direction of Tenten's voice, and said, "Sasuke."

The table burst out in a fresh bout of laughter.

"Sakura must have murdered you that day!" Tenten said between laughs.

"Yeah, she beat me up," Naruto said with a sort of wry smile at his strange memory of the day when he, Sasuke, and Sakura first became of team of three. "Her and every girl in the class…"

Every laughed some more at that.

"Every girl except Hinata," Naruto finished throwing his girl a toothy smile.

Hinata smiled shyly and blushed. She remembered how disappointed she was that she wasn't put in a group with Naruto that day. Back then, she would have never thought that she would be sitting next to Naruto having breakfast with her family and with Neji and Tenten at the table as well. She smiled happily to herself. Hiashi and his wife smiled, too, noticing Hinata's smile and enjoying the pleasant sounds of a full house for breakfast. The Hyuuga mansion had never been so warm and full of life.

* * *

Sasuke sneezed. 

_Someone must be talking about me right now_.

It was early morning, and he was in his old home vacuuming up the dust and dirt that gathered in a thick layer on the tatami mats. The dust was flying everywhere. The sunlight that poured into the room highlighted the floating dust particles as they rose and fell then slowly thinned as they were gathered into the vacuum. Sasuke had on a pair of black shorts and black shirt with an old dark blue bandana tied around his face covering his nose and mouth from the floating particles in the dirty air. As he finished, he stopped for a moment and looked at the old living room. The room was becoming more and more familiar as it became cleaner. Sometimes, he could almost expect his mother or father to walk in at any moment. He even expected his brother, Itachi, to walk into the room, an Itachi of the time back when things in Sasuke's life was simpler, back when he believed he had a brother who cared about him.

"Now to wipe down the mats with some wet cloth," Sasuke thought out loud.

He went over to the kitchen and was on his way to the sink to fill a bucket with water when something caught his eye outside a window. Her pink hair flashed brightly in the morning sun and the old white shirt and black shorts that hung comfortably over her frame moved steadily as her arm moved up and down. Sakura had come with him early in the morning to begin the rebuilding of the Uchiha clan's home neighborhood. Her hand held a small brush that was painting blue trim onto a window frame on a building adjacent to Sasuke's home. Sasuke looked at the back of Sakura's head, the blue cloth of her forehead protector framing her pink hair, a bright glint reflecting off of the metallic Konoha symbol at the top of her head. He half smiled, grateful for her help and company. She was after all the one who convinced him to undertake this project.

He watched as the wind blew between the buildings and caused her hair to flow to the side like a thick stream of sakura petals flying in the wind. The branch of a tree next to the window started to creek and reached for Sakura's head. It caught some of her pink strands. Sasuke watched as Sakura reached her free hand behind her and brushed away the branch. A moment later, another wind passed through and the branch again tickled the back of her head. Her hand slipped from the disturbance in her concentration and a bit of the blue trim that was meant for the window frame slipped onto the white wall beside it. Sakura paused, the blue paint-covered tip of the brush she held in her hand hung in mid air near the wall where it had made a stray mark.

Sasuke had to smile. He could tell Sakura the perfectionist was extremely irritated.

Without warning, Sakura's free hand pulled out a kunai from her pack and sliced off the branch that had been tangling in her hair. It fell listlessly to the ground. Sakura proceeded to stomp on it dramatically.

"STUPID BRANCH!"

She stomped some more. Then she lifted her foot, stepped back, and pointed at the now broken up piece of branch wood accusingly with the blue-tipped brush while pointing her index finger on her free hand up to the stray mark of blue on the otherwise pristine white wall.

"LOOK what you made me do! It was PERFECT before! ARRGHHH!"

With one last stomp, Sakura quickly returned to quietly and attentively painting the trim on the window frame as if nothing had happened.

Sasuke broke out in a full smile, thoroughly amused at Sakura's private moment of irritation that had just played out before him. Then his eyes softened, and rising from somewhere inside of him was a feeling that filled his chest and washed through his consciousness. He suddenly felt like wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her locks of soft pink hair.

As the feeling overcame him, he suddenly became aware of it and his face burned bright red. He quickly went to the sink and turned on the water which he was glad to see was finally running clean. He cupped his hands and splashed his face with the clear liquid, trying to cool his burning cheeks. Still in a state of mild confusion, he filled the water bucket and quickly went back to work wiping up the mats and floors in his old house.

* * *

Hinata activated her byakuugan. She was hidden in the closet in the front hallway. The door was completely closed, and she sat in complete darkness, but she could see everything and everyone in the household. Her mother and father had left for a meeting. Hanabi, who agreed to help serve as a decoy in this exercise, was under the dining room table. Neji was up on the roof in a dark, shaded corner under the overhang of the roof of a higher level in the building. Tenten was standing quietly in the garden. Naruto was moving down the hallway near their sleeping quarters searching from room to room. 

Hinata sighed and relaxed her bloodline limit ability. Naruto was far away from her position and showed no signs of finding her soon. They had been at this all morning. Tenten seemed to be slowly tracking down Neji quite efficiently placing herself in one general space and then another, then carefully standing still and listening and feeling for Neji's presence. Naruto, on the other hand, had been traveling all over the place haphazardly searching this nook and that corner with no apparent plan whatsoever. The noise he made looking for her was enough to cover up any sound of her presence or movements. Hinata could tell that Tenten was also using Naruto's noisy search to her advantage by listening to his search to determine places where Neji wasn't located.

Hinata leaned back against the closet wall in the dark and stretched out her legs. She sighed and her thoughts went to the technique she had just mastered yesterday, the Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun). She calculated that if Itachi were to try to attack her with the same technique, she would have to attack with the Genwaku Hyuuga before he could begin his attack on her or else she would be helpless again to its effects. This would be difficult because, although the attack itself had felt like hours and hours of torturous images, she had learned from Tsunade-sama that the attack only lasts for about a second which means it was fast. She would have to be faster.

Reminded of the psychological attack, Hinata couldn't help but see some of those horrifying images play through her mind. The killing of her family, and Naruto…she shivered and curled up from her relaxed position, hugging her knees to her chest. That was the most horrible image of all, the image of the Kyubi feasting on Naruto's lifeless body. She had heard about the terrible fox demon that had attacked Konoha, killing many of its finest ninjas and how the 4th Hokage had given his life to save the village. The part that had been left out of the tales she heard, though, was how the demon was sealed into Naruto's body. She had always wondered why many of the adults often gave Naruto dirty looks when they were still back at the academy. Now she knew why.

The image of Naruto when he had come to save her from her staged kidnapping flashed back into her mind. His eyes had been blood red and feral, a blood-thirst had haunted his features as he rose his hand up to strike Hyuuga Ryozo, her supposed kidnapper. At first, it terrified her to see Naruto that way. She would have never imagined such a look of utter violent intent in Naruto's usually cheerful or nobly determined face. When she had called out to him to stop, though, she saw the look of bloodlust disappear, and suddenly the Kyubi possessed Naruto changed from killer-destructive demon to what seemed like a civilized, loyal and noble creature. She had decided that Naruto wasn't helpless to the Kyubi's influence, and that possibly, the Kyubi was learning from Naruto the way she had learned from him. Courage and determination plus an iron will and a good heart. Naruto truly a one of a kind example of greatness. Itachi's psychological attack on her, however, had revealed how deeply she was afraid of the Kyubi hurting Naruto.

The door of the closet suddenly flung open. Hinata gasped despite herself as she blinked up at the light that poured into her hiding space. The dark silhouette of a spiky-haired figure stared down at her. Then, it crouched down and sniffed the air inside the closet. It reached a hand out and grabbed her ankle.

"Hinata?"

"Hai, Naruto."

Naruto smiled at the sound of her soft voice. He pulled her away from the back of the closet towards him by her leg. She found her face inches from his. Naruto wrapped his arms around her, pressed his forehead against hers, and smiled.

"I missed you," he said, his slightly raspy voice easily smoothing away the worries that had been haunting her just a moment before. She smiled happily.

"I missed you, too," she returned.

"So, what, don't I get a kiss for finding you?" Naruto flirted. Hinata blushed and giggled. Then she tilted head up and lifted her lips to his, caressing his warm, wet lips with her own. She pulled away. Naruto felt his heart pounding inside his chest, his face flushing red with fever. At that moment, he wished he could see her glimmering eyes and sweet smile. He placed his forehead shyly back on hers, smiled, and hugged her closer.

In his warm embrace, Hinata had never felt so happy before in her life. She had always known that whatever happens, even if the Kyubi should turn on them both, Hinata wanted to be there with Naruto no matter what. It was a price she didn't hesitate to pay to see him smile and to be by his side as his beloved.

* * *

Sasuke wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he stepped out into the sun. He turned to look up at his own house. The paint was really doing wonders in bringing back life to the broken down buildings. Sakura had painted not only his home but the two homes adjacent to his. 

"Sa, what do you think Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as she walked up towards him, a bucket of paint in one hand and a brush in the other. Her face was adorned with a few paint marks and the old white shirt she had was also stained here and there with a shade of blue, gray, or brown.

"It looks great," Sasuke replied approvingly. Sakura beamed. Sasuke turned to look at her as she smiled happily, and suddenly he remembered the feeling he had earlier, the urge to take her up in his arms. It rekindled in his chest and in his consciousness. His face flushed red despite himself.

"Oh my gosh! Sasuke-kun! Are you okay?" Sakura exclaimed, the happiness on her face falling to worry. She rushed to him and placed a hand on his forehead. Sasuke's face flushed even more at her sudden closeness and touch.

"You must have overworked yourself this morning!"

"No, I'm fine, I'm probably just a little tired, that's all," Sasuke tried to play off his embarrassment and fatigue.

"Maybe we should go see Tsunade-sama early!" Sakura said, her eyes a bit panicked. She couldn't help glancing at the spot where his bruise was hidden under the black work shirt he wore. They had an appointment to speak with the 5th in the afternoon about it, but the sooner they could ask her about it the better.

"No, it's okay, Sakura, I'm fine. Maybe we should just have lunch," Sasuke tried to diffuse her worry while at the same time trying to cool down his face.

Seeing the red leave his face, Sakura agreed hesitantly, "Okay…are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm completely sure," Sasuke replied, finally regaining his composure.

Throwing him one last unsure look, Sakura went to get the lunch that her mother had packed away for them.

* * *

The shadows of midday were just beginning their stretch across the progressing afternoon when Sasuke and Sakura stepped into the 5th Hokage's office. The panorama of Konoha stretched out behind her as she sat there giving them her usual, severe look, daring them to waste her time. Piles of paper work towered over her, and she tapped a pen irritably on a report open wide across her desk. 

"So, what is it that you two wanted to talk to me about?"

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a nervous look. They had both changed back to their usual attire to meet with the 5th. Both were eager to hear what she had to say about Orochimaru's cursed seal.

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura began, "Sasuke-kun would like to get rid of bruise caused by the Juin Jutsu (Cursed Seal Technique) Orochimaru performed on him."

The 5th Hokage linked the fingers of her hands in front of her mouth and leaned forward, her blond hair framing the serious look in her eyes.

"I see," she said. There was no easy way to tell them this, so she just blurted out the answer.

"It can't be done."

Both Sakura's and Sasuke's faces fell.

"No! That can't be it!" Sakura said, desperately looking for another way, another answer.

"Sakura," Tsunade gave her student a deep look, "I'm sure you've examined the bruise yourself. It is a jutsu that infuses with every cell of the body. In its initial form, we would at least be able to seal it and prevent it from activating on its own. I believe Kakashi performed that sealing on you," Tsunade gave Sasuke a look, and he nodded in affirmation.

"However, in its current advanced form, the only one who can remove it is Orochimaru himself, for it is his will that keeps the effects of the technique alive in Sasuke."

They stood silent for a moment, then Sakura pressed on.

"There must be something we can do!" Sakura said desperately, her eyes pleading with her teacher for some way out of what seemed like a dead end.

"There is," Tsunade said seriously, "Kill Orochimaru."

Silence filled the room again. Sakura turned to look at Sasuke who was staring at the floor, his hands in his pockets. A panic shot through Sakura. She wanted more than anything for Sasuke to be free of Orochimaru's cursed seal, but at that moment, she feared that Sasuke would leave on his own to fight Orochimaru. The look of fierce determination she saw growing silently in his eyes fueld her fear. They would lose him again. She couldn't let that happen.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura almost yelled. The 5th shifted her gaze towards her pupil.

"I propose a mission to find the whereabouts of Orochimaru! I would like to be on that mission! Onegaishimasu (Please)!" Sakura demanded.

Sasuke turned to look up at Sakura, slightly startled out of his own thoughts by the adamant tone in her voice. He could see the look of intense worry and the slight sense of panic that quivered underneath her otherwise determined façade.

The 5th Hokage sighed loudly and leaned back in her seat.

"We've all ready had many missions sent out for that purpose. Sasuke himself has provided all the information he knows about Orochimaru's whereabouts. We still haven't been able to find him."

Sakura's face fell. Sasuke looked first at Sakura, then caught the eyes of the 5th as she looked intently at him. He let out a sigh.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to wait until he comes here for me. Sorry we used up your time, Hokage-sama. Sakura, let's go."

The 5th smiled as she watched the door close behind the two young genin. Orochimaru would be back here indeed for his prized Uchiha boy, but she could see in Sasuke's eyes Konoha's will of fire. He would not let Konoha fall at Orochimaru's feet, and Tsunade knew better than anyone else, Sasuke was the best defense Konoha had against Orochimaru.

* * *

Sakura walked along side Sasuke, unable to get her spirits back up. They walked in silence with Sasuke glancing over at her from time to time. The shadows had stretched longer across the road they traveled on. Sasuke was just about to offer Sakura some words of comfort when they heard a loud thump and crash above them. They both looked up startled, but their surprise was replaced by a strange mix disbelief, familiarity, and sympathetic embarrassment. Naruto had just smashed into the top of a wooden telephone pole they were about to walk by, his arms and legs sticking out around the pole as if he was about to hug it. A squeal sounded out in the rooftop next to the pole. 

"Aah! Naruto! Are you all right?"

As Naruto seemed to peel off the pole and begin to fall back, Hinata flew into sight from the rooftop and caught her boy in midair, then landing as light and agile as a cat on the sidewalk in front of Sasuke and Sakura. She lay Naruto on the floor.

"Daijobu desu ka (Are you all right)?"

Naruto rubbed his red and dirty face, his head slightly lolling in a state of dizziness.

"Hai, I'm okay."

"Oi, Naruto! If you keep this up I'm going to beat you at the next chuunin exam!" Neji joked from his perch above with Tenten standing by his side.

"Sakura! Sasuke! Yo!" Tenten greeted with one hand up. Neji smiled at them in greeting.

"What are you all doing?" Sakura asked, wondering why the four of them were roof hopping at this time.

"Training!" Naruto said, punching a fist up into the air.

"Training?" Sasuke asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Yup! Neji and Hinata just mastered a new byakuugan technique yesterday on Tenten and me so she and I are blind right now!" Naruto said, looking just slightly off to the right of where Sasuke and Sakura stood.

"Well, my vision's been coming back a little bit at a time all afternoon. Everything's blurry, but I can sort of see. I guess you haven't been getting yours back yet Naruto?" Tenten said.

Neji chuckled, "Then again, it's not like Naruto wouldn't run into things anyways."

"That's true," Sasuke and Sakura said simultaneously as they looked at the third member of their team that they knew all too well.

Naruto got to his feet with Hinata's attentive help, put both hands behind his head throwing his elbows out in a wide stretch, and said, "Ha, you're all just jealous that I'm gonna be Hokage!"

The friends smiled, laughed, and talked, the friendly banter continuing along. Hinata, however, was quiet and full of worry. If Naruto's vision wasn't coming back while Tenten's was, it had to be her fault. Maybe she hadn't executed the technique right after all. A knot of worry grew in her stomach.

"Hey, what are you guys doing out here? Going on a mission without ME!" Naruto accused.

"Ha, NO," Sakura said, giving Naruto her usual scolding look, "We just came from a meeting with Tsunade-sama…" The raucous had taken her mind off of her worries for a moment, but they resurfaced again and her face noticeably fell as her voice trailed off.

The rest of them gave her a puzzled look, wondering what had happened. Neji and Tenten came down from off the roof.

"I went to ask her about removing Orochimaru's cursed seal from my body. She said the only way was either for Orochimaru to remove it himself, or for us to kill him."

The four friends looked from Sasuke to Sakura, then back to Sasuke.

"WELL? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET'S GO GET HIM!" Naruto said loudly.

"It's not that easy, Naruto. The Tsunade-sama's sent out lots of ninjas on the mission of locating him and they haven't found him. Not even with all the info on him that Sasuke-kun brought back," Sakura said in a tone of finality, as if there was nothing more about the issue to discuss.

Sasuke glanced over at her, then looked straight at Naruto, meeting his friend's fiery blue eyes with his own. One side of his lip curled up in a half smile.

"So, we'll just have to wait till he comes for me and kick his butt then," Sasuke said fiercely.

Naruto caught on quick, an equally fierce look spreading across his face as well as the faces of Neji, Tenten, and even his timid Hinata.

"OH YEAH! That's right! Ne (huh)? Sakura? If Orochimaru's stupid enough to show up here, BAM, we'll make him take off the cursed seal," Naruto said full of fervor.

Sakura was startled out of the vortex of worry she was spiraling down into, looking up at the expression of all her friends there. The fire she saw burning in all of their eyes reminded her…_That's right, we're all here together, fighting to protect each other…_Her face lifted, the Inner Sakura flame rekindled in her own eyes.

"That's right! The next time I see that Orochimaru's face I'm going to—" she threw a punch to her side right into the cement wall that was lining the side walk separating the backyard of one of Konoha's residential dwellings from the public street. The concrete wall pulverized into dust and small chunks of rock. Sakura's eyes grew wide with shock. She had forgotten her own strength.

"HEY! What are you kids doing—WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY WALL!" an middle-aged man screamed out of his window.

"AHHH! RUN!" Sakura squealed as she took off. The rest of the genin followed suit, and when they were all quite far away from the scene of the crime, they all began to laugh. The sound of their merriment echoed pleasantly into the afternoon air, floating into the sky as if they were living in a nostalgic memory. Sasuke smiled, relishing his new happy memory among friends.

* * *

"Hiashi-sama, Tenten's regained her eyesight, and I've all ready escorted her home," Neji said with all the formalities of a branch family member. 

"Ah," Hiashi replied. The Hyuuga family was seated around their dining table preparing for the evening's meal, and Neji had just stepped in and made his report. He took his seat.

"And do you know if Naruto's regained his vision y—"

For the second time that day, Hiashi's sentence was interrupted by the loud sound of Naruto crashing into something. This time, it was a wooden banister that connected the overhang to the outside walkway. Hinata went over quickly to Naruto, saying "Daijobu?" for about the hundredth time that day.

The two took their seat at the table and dinner was served.

"So, Naruto, I take it that you haven't regained your eyesight yet?"

Hinata's head and face fell with worry and guilt at these words.

"Ah, hahaha, no, not yet, but I'm sure I'll be fine," he said, rubbing the red spot on his face.

"Do you mind if I examine you, Naruto?" Hiashi asked.

"Um…" Naruto said hesitantly, "um, sure, why not?"

Hiashi's byakuugan hyper-activated. He carefully looked over Naruto's inner chakra flow system and nervous system.

_Hm…everything seems to be normal…ah, so desu (I see)…_Hiashi thought quietly to himself, trying to keep himself from smiling from his discovery.

"Everything's fine. You should be able to see in the morning. You should stay here again for the night."

"Ah, thanks. See? Hinata? There's nothing to worry about," Naruto said reassuringly, not quite looking right at her while speaking to her.

Un-reassured, Hinata was quiet, her brow stayed furrowed with worry for the rest of the dinner.

Later, when she walked Naruto to his sleeping quarters, she used the moment of privacy they had to pour her heart out to him.

"Naruto, I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I must have done the technique wrong! Maybe you won't see ever again!" The prospect of this horrified her so that tears pooled at her eyes and began to stream down her face.

Naruto smiled tenderly, looking down at her pearl-violet colored eyes as they sparkled with tears. He lifted his thumb and wiped away another tear as it fell, stopping it midway down her face.

"Hinata, don't worry, I can see, I was just pretending," Naruto revealed.

"What? But you kept running into things! How--?" Hinata started.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you so much. I was just pretending," Naruto said.

"But…but why?" Hinata asked, genuinely puzzled.

"So I could stay here for another night."

Hinata's eyes grew wide.

"I just like being near you," Naruto said with a lopsided smile.

As she processed what he had said, she began to blush. She let out a breath of relief.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said.

He hugged her.

"Oyasuminasai (good night)," he said in a tender voice.

"Oyasuminasai," she said in her soft voice back.

Stepping into his room, he gave her one last brilliant smile before he closed the door.

Hinata walked to her room across the hall. Through her mind flowed all the images of the day, all the times Naruto ran into something as they hopped from roof top to roof top. She realized he had probably started regaining his sight the same time Tenten did. With her hand on the sliding door to her own room, Hinata looked back over her shoulder at the door to Naruto's quarters. She felt an immense feeling of joy and love and embarrassment welling up inside her chest. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine Naruto could like her this much. The worries of the day also mixed in with the turmoil of emotions swirling inside of her. "Naruto…no baka (Naruto you idiot)," she said with an affectionate smile, a sniffle, and a pair of eyes still glistening with tears.

* * *

Sakura stepped outside her front door with Sasuke after a dinner of her mother's cooking. They stood under a the warm yellow glow of a street lamp near her front door, the rest of the world awash in shades of blue and black from a clear, starlit night. 

"Thanks again, Sakura, for all your help today," Sasuke said.

Sakura gave him the best smile she could muster.

"Well," Sasuke filled the awkward silence, "I'll see you tomorrow. You'll have time to help me again?"

"Yes," Sakura said, this time being the one of few words.

"Okay, then, oyasumi (good night)," he said, turning away from her to walk away.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said suddenly. He turned back around to fully face her, giving her a questioning look.

"Promise me…," she bit her lower lip, then continued, "Promise me you won't go after Orochimaru on your own. Promise me…promise me that you'll at least take me and Naruto with you…" she said, her voice slightly quivering.

"Ah," Sasuke conceded. Sakura looked up at him, then looked back down at the concrete sidewalk under her feet. Her worried eyes showed Sasuke that she wasn't the least bit reassured. His eyes softened as they looked at the worry that furrowed in her brow and played across her features. He took a few steps towards her.

"Sakura-chan," he said, raising his right hand to her with his pinky sticking out.

"Yakusoku desu (It's a promise)."

Sakura looked up at him startled, then looked down at his offered pinky, then back up to his face. The worry on her face softened into a happy smile. She lifted her own right hand and hooked her pinky around his.

"Yakusoku," she returned.

As their hands fell to their sides, she added jokingly, "And if you break this promise, Naruto and I will personally come find you, beat you up, and drag you back to Konoha!"

"Ah," Sasuke replied with a lopsided smile, glad to see that Sakura was again cheerful and full of fire.

* * *

As Sasuke made his way home bathed in the colors of a clear night sky, he decided to change his course. He headed for the path that led out of Konoha, and as he passed the bench that he had laid an unconscious Sakura on over two years ago, he thought to himself, 

_I still haven't mastered that technique…_

_

* * *

Note: Sasuke! Where are you going! What technique? Stay tuned : D _


	13. Chapter 13

_Note: Wow, my chapters are getting longer and longer. It's all thanks to all you readers for your ideas, inspiration, and encouragement! Thank you and hope you enjoy!_

_Random Note: So did you all check out that NaruHina AMV on my profile? It was the cutest one I could find! If you all know of good AMVs please send the links my way!_

* * *

All The Difference 13

The moon was only a sliver of light in a sky filled with stars that sparkled down onto the night covered forest below. In the shadow walked a lone Konoha genin wearing the crest of the Uchiha clan on his back.

Sasuke stopped and mentally calculated about how far away he was from the front gates of Konoha at that moment.

_This should be far enough, _he thought quietly to himself. He had come out here determined to master a new technique, a technique that he may be able to use to protect Konoha against Orochimaru.

He raised his right thumb up to his mouth and placed the flesh of his finger against the sharp edge of his top canine tooth. Biting down and causing a spurt of blood to drip from his own flesh, he used his now bleeding hand to pull back the white cloth that covered his left forearm. On it were black markings that looked as if they had been etched into his flesh by a burning flame. They were identical to the ones on Orochimaru's left forearm. Sliding the bloodied thumb across the dark marks, Sasuke yelled,

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"

His sight obscured by a giant cloud of smoke, Sasuke felt himself lifted up into the cold night air by an enormous mass growing beneath his feet. The brisk wind whisked past his body causing his clothes to flap and his hair to tremble. He braced himself.

When the smoke cleared, he found himself standing on the head of a monstrously large snake looking down at the tree tops of an expansive forest framed by hills and mountains in the distance glowing in the twilight.

"Manda," Sasuke said coolly, "I've summoned you."

"Ah? Who are you? Where is Orochimaru?" the creature inquired in its spine tingling, slithering voice.

"My name is Sasuke. Orochimaru has etched your symbol on my arm, and I have summoned you with my own blood."

"Hmph, don't speak, to me so casually, boy. Summoning me does not mean I am your ally. I will require—"

At that moment, Manda rose its head high up into the sky, causing the wind to rush through Sasuke's hair and clothes again. The snake looked at the sight of Konoha in the distance with its sparkling street lights and peacefully sleeping inhabitants.

"Ahhhhh, ssssssss," Manda slithered with as much delight as can be imagined in a snake's cold voice.

"I see you have prepared a sacrificial offering to me. Very well, when I have eaten my fill of your offering, I may do you some favors for you if it pleassssses me."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide with horror. Facing the same direction that Manda was looking, he was afforded a full view of what the snake was referring to as the "sacrificial offering." In a state of utter shock, he suffered a moment of pause before he could move on with his thoughts. Orochimaru had told him nothing about Manda needing sacrificial offerings. When he finally realized what was happening, he began to scream at the creature to stop, but it was too late. The monstrous snake was crashing through the forest, creating a loud, continuous raucous of crushed wood and foliage along with upturned earth. His voice drowned out by the cacophony, Sasuke fell backwards as the snake rushed ahead with no regard for his safety. He tumbled down the snake's long, scaly back to the ground and was able to reclaim control before hitting the earth, using a nearby tree as a platform to regain his footing and jumping off before it, too, was destroyed in the wake of Manda's path.

Sasuke looked up in panic at the sight of the snake as it slithered away from him towards a sleeping Konoha.

_What have I done?_

He realized that he should have been more careful, should have gone further away, to a place where Konoha wouldn't have been in Manda's line of sight. But it was too late for regret now. He had to do something and do it quick. He ran after the snake as it went towards his village, towards his family and friends, with the full intent to destroy everything in its path. Through his mind ran all of the techniques that he had learned, but as he quickly ran over each scenario in his head, those techniques came out nullified, unable to stop the large snake. Then it hit him. His hands began to form the seals of a technique that he had seen only once with his sharingan, but for his bloodline limit, once was enough. Not knowing the name of the technique, he ran up to the tale of the snake as it slithered away in front of him, jumped up into the air above it, finished the sequence of seals as he hovered for a moment in midair, then fell to the ground and slammed his palms down into the earth just as the tip of the snake's tale passed over that spot. Much of his chakra had been used in summoning Manda; his only hope was to use up every last ounce of chakra he had left in his body.

On top of the rumble of the snake's movements came a deeper and stronger rumble deep in the ground beneath it. Before the snake could react, the ground burst open with roots flying up into the air and the trees around the creature began to grow and expand into what looked like mutated monstrosities of unnaturally moving wooden flesh. The plants wrapped around Manda's body, constricting it like thousands of pythons and covering practically every inch of its scaling surface with imprisoning wooden bars preventing him from moving forward, backward, or even wriggling in any direction.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS BOY? Consider yourself OUT of favor. Summon me again and expect to BE my sacrificial offering!" Manda screamed in anger. Then in a cloud of smoke, as quickly as it had appeared, Manda was gone and left in his place was the eerie empty shape of a gigantic snake woven by the branches, roots, and leaves of the forest outside of Konoha's walls. The head of this empty snake shape was but a few yards away from the front gates of Konoha.

Sasuke smiled weakly in relief then his consciousness fell into darkness.

* * *

"Naruto! Neji-oniisan! Come over here!"

Hinata had noticed something in the garden that morning as they were walking to breakfast from the sleeping quarters. The two boys jogged lightly over to where she was in a corner of the garden, occasionally hopping from rock to grass to rock as they went along.

"Kawaii (Cute)!" Naruto exclaimed as he bent over to look at what Hinata was looking at. Neji looked over his spiky-haired friend's shoulder and his eyes softened as he beheld the sight as well. Hidden underneath a bush tucked behind two adjacent large rocks was a tiny kitten that looked about 2-3 weeks old. Covered in morning dew, the kitten was curled up and quivering. It was completely black all over except for a spot of white on the tip of its tale.

"Kawaisou (Poor Thing)," Neji added.

Naruto scooped up the little creature carefully in his hands, using his palms to cover up its tiny body and conserve whatever warmth was there. Hinata motioned for him to follow her to the wooden walkway that separated the dining room entrance from the tea garden outside.

Naruto kneeled down at the entrance of the dining room as Hinata ran into the kitchen. He looked at the quivering creature in his hands that was starting to shake a little less than before as the warmth from Naruto's hands seeped into it and relaxed its muscles. Naruto stared at the small entity for awhile, his eyes softening into a pensive and empathetic look. Then he looked up at Neji with a sad smile.

"This little guy's a lot like you and me, huh?"

"Ah," Neji replied with a sad nod, and then added, "I wonder what happened to his family."

Neji stuck out a single finger to stroke the dark, damp fir of the kitten. The tip of his index finger alone was about half the size of the kitten's forehead.

Hinata came out with a small wooden box filled with some cloth.

"Here, put him here," she said as she put it down on the floor just on the inside of the dining room door.

Under Hinata's arm was tucked a book.

"I'm going to make a formula for it. There's a recipe in this medical book that's just right for it."

"Can't we just give it milk?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"Cats don't digest milk well," Hinata said.

"So desu (I see)," Naruto replied.

"Plus he's such a little thing, he can't each much of anything."

The family gathered and everyone began their breakfast. Hinata excused herself and went into the kitchen through the sliding door opposite the entrance to the dining room.

"I take it you've regained your eyesight Naruto?" Hiashi inquired, hiding a smile.

"Oh yeah, edo (um), must have regained it sometime while I was sleeping last night. When I woke up this morning, boom! I could see everything!" Naruto said with a smile.

"So desu (I see)," Hiahi left it at that, allowing the corners of lips to come up in a slight smile.

Hinata came back into the room with a cup of white liquid in one hand and a small, glass dropper in her other hand. She crouched down by the small box. Dipping the narrowed tip of the glass cylinder into the solution, her fingers pressed on the rubber bulb at the other end and then released. The white liquid was drawn up into the glass tubing, and Hinata delicately put it down into the box, nudging the kitten's mouth open with the glass tip and squeezing out the life-giving food. The kitten reflexively began to lick the solution off the tube tip and its own lips. It got to its feet the best it could, but being too weak to stay standing, it ended up crouched on its stomach with its head angled slightly up towards the oncoming food. By then, most of the family had taken a pause in their morning routine to come over and look at the kitten.

"Oh good, he's eating. A healthy appetite is a good sign," Hinata thought out loud.

The onlookers smiled as they watched the tiny creature finish its modest meal, then curl back up and fall asleep. Hinata smiled warmly as she pulled a piece of the cloth over to cover the sleeping bundle of fur.

The rest of the group went back to their breakfast, eating quietly and whispering whenever they spoke. No one wanted to wake the weak kitten sleeping in the corner.

"What are you going to call him?" Hanabi whispered over to her older sister. Everyone else looked at Hinata expectantly. She had, after all, been the one to discover the poor thing.

Chopstick still in hand, Hinata smiled cheerfully at her little sister and said without hesitation, "Kyubi-chan!"

Hiashi and his wife couldn't help but give their eldest child a confused look. Why on earth would she want to name that tiny creature after a powerful demon force that almost destroyed all Konoha?

"Isn't Kyubi the name of the demon that almost destroyed Konoha?" Neji asked in puzzlement, the only one in the room besides young Hanabi that didn't know that the very demon being discussed was in fact sitting amongst them at this peaceful hour.

"Didn't the 4th give his life to get rid of the demon?" Neji pressed on.

"Hai (Yes)," Hinata said cheerfully, her smile unchanged.

"Well, then, why are you naming this kitten after such an evil force? It hardly seems fitting," Neji asked, expressing the same thought that had, unbeknownst to him, crossed through the minds of his uncle and aunt.

"Where ever the Kyubi is now, maybe it's not so evil anymore," Hinata said with a shrug as she went back to delicately shoveling the food into her mouth.

Neji gave her a strange look, but shrugged his shoulders and gave up on the subject, thinking that Hinata must have her own reasons for giving a defenseless kitten such an infamous name.

Meanwhile, Naruto sat silently looking down at his bowl of rice and the piece of pickled vegetable that sat untouched on the soft, most grains. He had a sort of far away, nostalgic look in his eye, as if he were visiting a fond memory of the past. Then he turned to Hinata with a toothy smile and said,

"That's a great name!"

Neji looked at Naruto with an even more puzzled look on his face. He could tell that he was obviously missing something here, but figured he'll just have to find out about it later. There didn't seem to be any way of pursuing the issue further with more questions.

Hinata gave Naruto a warm smile and continued on with her meal.

"Did any of you feel the earthquake last night?" Hanabi asked quietly.

The heads around the table nodded, all of them save for one.

"What earthquake?" Naruto asked, apparently the deepest sleeper of the group.

A servant came into the dining room quietly and slipped a note to Hiashi and his wife. Both of them read over the note while the youths at their table were looking over at the peacefully sleeping Kyubi-chan in his wooden box bed and quietly whispering to Naruto about the tremors in the night.

The Hyuuga seniors in the room turned grave as they read over the serious news.

"Naruto, Neji, Hinata," Hiashi said solemnly. The three young genin turned their attention to his serious voice.

"I just received news that a young genin, your friend Sasuke, was found near death early this morning by the front gates to Konoha. He's at the hospital under intensive care as we speak."

Naruto's chopsticks dropped from his hand as the news struck him. He stood up abruptly and clambered outside to the garden, jumping up to the nearest rooftop, and then out of sight, still barefoot from the meal in the tatami dining room, his blue sandal shoes still tucked by the entrance to the Hyuuga mansion.

Hinata and Neji stood up and bowed to the Hyuuga seniors.

"Hanabi, can you take care of Kyubi-chan? There's more solution in the kitchen."

Hanabi nodded, and Neji and Hinata took off after their friend.

* * *

Sasuke blinked. At first, everything was white, featureless, and bright. Then the outline of the hospital room and its furniture emerged from the blankness. There was a metallic tray to his right. The blinds were drawn down and closed over the windows, but the glow of daylight seeped in, outlining the windows with a glowing frame. The clean sheets that covered him smelled fresh; the pillow beneath his head was soft and comfortable. He turned his head to the left, away from the metal tray and windows to look at the pink and red that had played at the corner of his left eye.

Sakura sat on a chair scooted up near his bed. She was leaning back against the chair, fast asleep with a medical book open in her hands across her lap. The book looked as if it were hanging on one hinge at the verge of falling, and on its pages, Sasuke could see diagrams of chakra systems. Sakura's head lolled a little to her right towards Sasuke's face, and he could see that there was a bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth. He had to smile. For a long while he just lay there, feeling completely exhausted but completely at peace as he stared at the sleeping and slightly drooling Sakura.

His thoughts wandered to the day at the BBQ restaurant, when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught Naruto giving Hinata a tender look of adoration. Then, the images in his mind flashed to when he had seen Sakura painting the window frame and the branch had disrupted her task. Upon reflection, he realized that the tender look he had given the unknowing Sakura at that moment was the same as the one he had seen Naruto give to the shy Hinata.

When did he start feeling this way about Sakura? When did she cease to be just another annoying girl that squealed every time he was around? Automatically, his mind went to a very unpleasant memory, the memory of when the cursed seal of Orochimaru first released itself and changed his entire body. He heard the sound of his own voice play through his mind.

_Sakura…who did that to you?_

The malice drenching his voice had turned his enemy's blood cold. The fury he had felt at that moment was incomprehensible. The sight of her bruised and bloodied face, the cuts upon her body, her mangled hair, and her ripped clothes had infuriated him beyond words. In his mind at that moment had been an unspoken rage that caused him to lose all sense of reason, and in his livid state, he gave himself fully over to the demon curse that spread throughout his body, gave himself fully to its effects. He was furious that somebody had touched her, had _hurt_ her. In this feral state of bloodthirst, the feeling that echoed through his entire being was how dare they touch _his_ Sakura.

Through all the disinterest that he had put forth during their time in a team together, all the times he had rejected her advances coldly, even up to the point when he abandoned her to go to Orochimaru, he had developed a deep care for Sakura, one that, upon his return, had been growing in the new, fertile soil of his changed direction in life, a direction that was less selfish, a direction that entailed caring for the well-being of others full-heartedly, even if it meant putting his own feelings of vengeance aside. All this time she had been loyal to him, devoted to him, caring for him, and he had taken it for granted. As he looked upon her in her sleeping, drooling state with tender and adoring eyes, he felt the blossom of his feelings floating in full bloom within his chest.

The book that sat in her lap finally slid out of her grasp and fell noisily to the ground. Sakura sat up with a start, looking first down at the source of the loud sound, and then up into the face of a smiling Sasuke.

She reached out a hand and grabbed his arm that lay over the blanket against the side of his body.

"You're finally awake!" she said with the warmest smile, happiness sparkling in her turquoise eyes as she leaned forwards towards him.

"We were all so worried about you!"

Sasuke smiled silently in response, then with his left hand, the hand closest to her, he reached to the side of the bed near her. Sakura let go of his arm, curious to see what it was that he was trying to do. He grabbed the corner of his blanket and pulled it up to her face. She stared at the piece of cloth Sasuke was pulling towards her face, and it paused a few inches away from her cheek. Then she looked back at Sasuke with a questioning look on her face. With the cloth in his hand, Sasuke wiped off the drool on the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, hahaha," Sakura laughed as she grabbed a tissue from the box on the small table next to his bed and cleaned up her face.

Sasuke sat up fully, pulling his right hand up to his forehead and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the sleepiness and stiffness all over his body.

"How long was I out?" Sasuke asked.

"A little over three days. The first morning you were in critical condition, but Tsunade-sama was able to stabilize you. Then after that, she said you were fine and just needed to rest to regain your chakra," Sakura explained.

"Ah," Sasuke replied as he tried to rub life back into his stiff arms and legs.

"Hungry?"

Sasuke nodded his head. Sakura pulled out a package from under the bed with a crooked smile on her face.

"You're gonna LOVE these," she said. The package was wrapped in a silk, purple cloth with wooden branches spotted by sakura blossoms embroidered into it in an elegant pattern. Sakura untied the cloth to reveal a dark, brown wooden bento (lunchbox) box about a foot high with two layers. She opened to top layer and held it out to Sasuke. Inside the first level container were two rows of three onigiri (rice balls). Each one was decorated with small pieces of food such as seaweed and fish paste to make what looked like a model of Naruto's head.

Sasuke laughed at the sight of 6 Naruto onigiris.

"Hinata made these for you and me," Sakura said as she laughed with him, "Can you guess which one Naruto made?"

Sasuke's eyes fell upon the one onigiri was that wasn't quite as neat and symmetrical as the others. He chuckled some more.

"Here," Sakura said as she grabbed a napkin, picked up one of the onigiri and handed it to Sasuke.

He took a bite out the top of the onigiri, taking off a chunk of Naruto's forehead and the yellow spikes made out of egg and pickled daikon that was supposed to be his hair. Chewing it and swallowing, he said,

"Wow, these are really delicious!" as he took another bite.

"Yeah, Hinata's a really good cook. When we're training with Tsunade-sama, Hinata's the best at mixing medicines, too."

Sakura picked up an onigiri for herself and started to munch on it. When she saw that Sasuke was finishing up his, she picked up the asymmetrical onigiri that Naruto had made and handed it to him.

"Here, I'm sure Naruto made this one especially for you," she said with a crooked smile.

"Haha, thanks," Sasuke said as he bit down on it. Luckily, it was as tasty as the first one, indicating that Naruto had only assembled the onigiri and not cooked the entire thing from scratch. He was grateful for Hinata's good cooking.

At that moment, the door opened and in burst Naruto and Hinata as well as all the others from their group.

"Sasuke! Sakura said you'd be awake this morning! How are you feeling?" Naruto said energetically, surrounded by the smiling faces of all their friends. Tenten and Neji pulled open the blinds, letting in the sunlight of another beautiful Konoha day.

"Stiff and a little woozy, but okay, thanks," Sasuke said, taking another bite of his onigiri. Naruto smiled when he saw which one it was that he was eating. Even he could tell his own messy handiwork apart from the pristine onigiri that Hinata had assembled.

"Wow! What's that?' Kiba asked.

"Oh, onigiri that Hinata made," Sakura said, adding, "They're delicious!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement as he stuffed the rest of the one he had in his hand into his mouth and picked up a new one.

"Hey, sharing is caring!" Choji said, his mouth watering as he eyed the onigiri even though he was still busily stuffing chips into his face.

"Dame (Stop)! Sasuke needs to regain his strength!" Sakura put her arms out ready to block any attempts at taking the onigiri.

"Oh, I brought some more so there's enough for everyone," Hinata's quiet voice came out from behind Naruto. She squeezed her way to the foot of Sasuke's bed and placed upon it four packages identical to the one that Sakura had pulled out from under the bed.

"Woohoo! All right Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed. Everyone watched hungrily as Hinata unwrapped the packages and started handing out the onigiri.

At first, they all looked in silence at the rice ball, examining it in detail. Then, realizing suddenly that the onigiri was fashioned to look like Naruto, they all burst out in laughter together. As they bit down into the rice ball, there were resounding exclamations of how delicious it was.

"Hey, Hinata, could you make ones that look like Akamaru sometime? I want to give it to my family for his birthday."

"Sure," Hinata smiled, beaming at everyone's compliments and happy that everyone could share in this moment of camaraderie.

Kiba then gave Shino an expectant look, a jocular glint sparkling in his eyes.

"Contrary to what you might be thinking," Shino replied to Kiba, "I'm not going to ask Hinata-san to make me one that looks like a Destruction Bug."

Everyone burst out laughing.

Sasuke laughed and smiled, grateful they were all there showing that they cared about his well being and happy to share another memory with his fellow Konoha ninjas.

"We deduced you saved Konoha from the attack of a giant snake," Neji ventured, smiling at Sasuke. The rest of the genin (plus Shikamaru) turned to Sasuke expectantly, curious to hear about what had happened and how Sasuke had ended up in such a critical state.

"Oh, that," began Sasuke, "it was my fault to begin with. I was trying to master a summoning technique that Orochimaru had taught me…I didn't know that the summon, Manda, was so uncontrollable. He thought I had summoned him near Konoha because I was offering the village to him as a sacrifice."

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief at his own stupidity.

"Almost threw another disaster on Konoha, it was the least I could do to stop it and correct my mistake."

He had his eyes covered with one hand in disgrace and self-disgust, and it wasn't till Naruto pulled it away that he saw that everyone in the room was beaming at him.

"You protected Konoha, that's what counts," Naruto said with a tone of finality.

The rest of the party smiled broader in agreement. Sasuke had to look away, a little embarrassed by all the attention.

"Yo, what was that technique you used! It was crazy! It was like the forest swallowed a snake!" Kiba broke the awkwardness with his usual loudness.

"Yeah, what was that technique?" Ino added.

"Oh, I actually learned it from Naruto," Sasuke replied, giving Naruto an awkward look realizing he hadn't told his friend about how he had spied on him that day.

Instead of anger or surprise, Naruto beamed. At that moment, Sasuke realized that Naruto had known all along that he had been there watching him.

"Yeah, Hinata and I can teach it to all of you if you want!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You know it, too, Hinata?" Tenten asked amazed.

Hinata smiled shyly and nodded her head.

"Hmm, it seems like a very powerful technique," Neji pondered.

"It is," Sasuke said, "It was the only thing that I could think of that would stop that Manda. It uses a lot of chakra, though."

The young ninjas continued on their discussion, talking happily to each other and finally setting a date to meet and learn the technique together. Naruto and Hinata shared a private smile between all of the conversations. Throughout their little indoor picnic, nobody noticed that Sasuke was throwing Sakura furtive glances whenever the opportunity to do so presented itself. He wondered what he should do with the feelings welling inside him that he no longer ignored.

Gradually, the room began to empty out as people left for other appointments and duties. Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto were the last ones left in the hospital room with Sasuke.

"Well, I gotta meet up with Tsunade-sama. I'll come right back to visit when I'm done with my session with her," Sakura said, giving Sasuke a friendly wink. He willed his blood not to flush to his face.

"Matane (see you later) Hinata, Naruto!"

Sasuke's eyes stayed on her as she turned and left the room, her short pink hair bouncing behind her full of life.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, I brought some soup and herbal tea for you. It should help you regain your strength," Hinata said in her soft voice as she pulled off a back pack and began pulling out two large, silver metallic thermoses.

"I have to take off, too," Naruto said, "Ero Sennin (Pervert Hermit) told me to meet him by the hot springs. Jee, wonder why he's by the hot springs bath house. Big perv." Naruto rolled his eyes. Then he held his fist up to Sasuke.

"Get better. The Chuunin exams are coming up. You'd better be ready for our big fight!" Naruto said with a look of fiery competition flickering in his eyes.

"Ah," Sasuke gave him the same look back and knocked his fist against Naruto's.

With a jump and a skip, Naruto was by Hinata, and he pecked her on the cheek. Hinata blushed at his public display of affection.

"Bai!" Naruto called out to the two of them as he closed the door behind himself.

Hinata was busily unscrewing the top of one of the thermos.

"It's best if you drink the soup first, probably, then the tea. These containers should keep the soup and tea hot for the rest of the day," Hinata explained in her soft voice as she poured soup into the cover of the thermos that also served as a serving bowl. The brown chicken broth soup poured smoothly into the bowl with bits of tofu and green onion floating nutritiously in the liquid. The smell was rich and wholesome.

She handed the bowl to Sasuke, who took it with both hands.

"This should help wash down those onigiri," Hinata said cheerfully.

"Thanks, Hinata, everything's delicious," Sasuke said gratefully.

"No problem! It was easy to make so no trouble at all!"

As he drank the soup and watched her unscrew the other thermos, he wondered how Naruto had made his feelings known to her.

"Ah, so Hinata, how long have you and Naruto been together?"

"Over two years now," Hinata said with a smile and a slight blush in her cheeks as she poured out the hot herbal tea.

"So desu ne (I see)," Sasuke said as he took another sip of the steaming hot soup. It poured into his body, relaxing his muscles with its warmth and energizing him with its richness.

"So, um, how did Naruto first ask you out?"

Hinata placed the thermos back onto the table and screwed on the top. She stood silent and pensive for a moment staring down at the bowl of black herbal tea with wisps of steam rising elegantly into the air. Then she blushed again.

"Actually, I was the one who made the first move," she said with an embarrassed smile.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide a bit. He had thought his energetic, outgoing, and totally direct friend had been the one to initiate the relationship. He had assumed wrong, finding out now that it was the shy and quiet Hinata who had done the initiating.

"Wow, you've got guts Hinata," Sasuke said out loud.

"Well, you see," Hinata began, "I was supposed to go on a pretty dangerous mission the next day. I didn't know if I would make it back okay. It was a secret mission, so I couldn't tell Naruto about it. So I thought, if I don't tell him today, I might never get a chance to show him how I feel about him."

"Were you scared he would turn you down?" Sasuke asked further, very much intrigued by Hinata's tale.

"Absolutely terrified," Hinata said with a smile.

"But you went through with it anyway…"

"I guess it helped thinking at the time that if I didn't do it today, I might never be able to do it again. I guess no one should take it for granted that the next day will come, but being a ninja and going on missions, it seems even more important not to take every chance we have in life for granted, ne (huh)?" Hinata added thoughtfully.

"Ah," Sasuke agreed.

"Well, here's the tea ready for you when you want it. I have to get going, too. Neji and I are training with my father right now. Then I have to meet with Tsunade-sama, too. Get better!"

"Arigato, Hinata-san," Sasuke said.

As Hinata put her hand on the door knob to open the door, she stopped for a moment and looked back over at Sasuke who looked up at her wondering what made her pause.

"While you were gone, I once told Sakura that I hated you for abandoning Konoha when we needed you the most. Gomen (sorry), I take it back. Now that I've gotten to know you better, I understand why Naruto cares so much about you. You're really a good person Sasuke, and I'm glad you came back," Hinata said with a friendly smile and then left before Sasuke got a chance to respond.

Sasuke smiled at the spot where Hinata had stood, knowing now why his spiky-haired friend was so taken by the shy, weird girl from their academy class. Then his gaze went to the chair that was pulled up next to his bed. He resolved to make the most of the next chance he got to tell her, show her, how he felt.

_

* * *

Note: I just had to use the Naruto onigiri from one of the fillers! They're so adorable! I wish they would sell Naruto onigiri at anime cons. The filler wasn't that great, but the onigiri drawing was kawaii! Oi, big SasuSaku moment coming up soon, eh? And hooray for Kyubi-chan!_

_Random Note: If you're a big Narutard like me and would like to rock out to live Naruto music, check out the Random Ninjas playing in Japan town in San Francisco on Dec 17 if you're in the area. I swear I've heard those Naruto theme songs like a million times each and still can't get sick of them! Naruto music totally rawks! (So does the FFVII Advent Children music! Still listening to that, too!)_


	14. Chapter 14

_Note: So I had this done a few days ago and was thinking of waiting for some time to include a NaruHina scene but since this is a busy week for me, I figure, gosh, this is long enough to put in as a chapter so I decided not to make y'all wait. Thanks so much for reading and hope you enjoy this week's installment!_

* * *

All The Difference 14

Sakura and Tenten walked back onto the main streets of Konoha. They had spent the afternoon in strength training with the 5th Hokage, and the two were tired and dirty. Despite that, they were smiling, talking, and laughing with each other. The late afternoon bustle under a bright sun on the Konoha streets matched their cheerful mood.

"So what did he say to you?" Sakura asked with a laugh.

"Well, you know Neji, he's so formal about everything, always about tradition and following rules. So he gave me this really serious look and was like, 'Tenten, I would like to ask you to be my girlfriend,'" Tenten responded, mocking Neji's solemn tone, "It sounded like a business transaction!"

The two girls laughed, the sound of their voices bouncing pleasantly off of the walls and buildings lining the street they walked on.

"So how did you respond?" Sakura asked further.

"Well, first, I laughed! I had to! Here he was asking me out and it was like he was all ready proposing or something!" Tenten laughed.

"And?" Sakura pressed.

"I hugged him and tried to kiss him, but he was kinda stiff, like he didn't know what to do after asking me to go with him," Tenten smiled and blushed a bit.

Sakura smiled and threw an arm around her friend, "Well, being with you is doing him good. He's loosened up a bit these days, and he smiles a lot more."

"Haha, thanks," Tenten added, "You didn't know him back at the Academy. He was worse then, like Mr. Perfect scores on everything."

"I'm sure," Sakura chuckled.

"Okay, well, here's my street, I'll see you tomorrow Sakura," Tenten said with a friendly smile.

"Ja, see ya," Sakura said, holding up a hand in goodbye.

Sakura headed for her own house. She planned to wash up and then hurry to the hospital to bring Sasuke a dinner her mom had prepared especially for him. She planned to stay at the hospital that night to keep him company and make use of the hospital's medical library for her own independent studies. Soon, she was coming up to Ino's family flower shop, and sure enough, Ino was outside with a full length, tan apron on. She had a spray bottle in her hand, and she was spraying water on some of the flowers on display.

"Hey Ino!" Sakura called as she approach.

"Oh, hey Sakura!" Ino smiled in greeting.

Sakura had noticed that in the last month or so that she and Ino hadn't been as antagonistic towards each other. Sakura thought maybe they both just grew out of their rivalry. _It doesn't matter anymore anyways…_Sakura thought to herself.

"I was going to go visit Sasuke later, did you wanna come?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, no, it's okay, I all ready have plans," Ino replied as she sprayed a few more red roses."

"Oh yeah?" Normally Ino would jump at a chance to see Sasuke. Sakura wondered what had changed Ino's usually effervescent attitude towards him.

"Tell him I said hi," Ino added as she continued with her work. Sakura sensed Ino was avoiding talking about something.

At that moment, the sharp barking of a pup reached their ears, and in no time, Akamaru had jumped into Ino's arms and was nuzzling her face with his wet, canine nose.

"Haha, stop, that tickles!" Ino exclaimed while changing the position of her arms to better cradle the squirming bundle of fur.

Sakura looked at Ino with an inquiring look and was just about to ask her when she became so friendly with Akamaru when Kiba smacked a hand rather un-gently on the back of her shoulder with a loud, vocal greeting.

"Hey! Sakura! What's up?"

"Kiba, hi…" Sakura said, still trying to make sense of the situation. But before a proper question could formulate itself in her mind, Kiba skipped over to Ino and hugged her from the side and pecked her on the cheek. Ino's whole body was slightly lifted in his embrace, and her face was turning a extremely deep shade of red.

"So, we're still on for tonight, ya?"

Ino nodded sheepishly, one eye on Sakura's shocked face.

"Cool, see you then!"

Then Kiba and Akamaru bounded away as quickly as they had arrived.

Sakura's jaw dropped. She was speechless. Ino continued on with being red-faced. Finally, Sakura pointed an accusing finger at Ino.

"INO-PIG! You got a boyfriend and you didn't tell ME?" Sakura scolded.

"Hey, you're the one who said we were 'rivals'…" Ino returned weakly.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean we're still not best friends!" Sakura said and walked up to Ino, lifted both hands to her friend's face, and pinched her cheeks.

"Hey, ow! Cut that out!" Ino said brushing her friennd's hands away.

"So, you're going to tell me all about it right now, RIGHT? And—" Sakura made a loud, melodramatic gasping sound "—you probably had your first kiss and didn't tell me about it!"

Ino's face had been cooling down a bit, but it promptly returned to a deep shade of red.

"It…it just sort of happened, I don't know."

Ino stopped and looked away, but Sakura glared at her, refusing to let her off easy, her turquoise eyes wide and demanding but at the same time full of laughter and playfulness. Ino was compelled to look back at her friend's expectant glare.

"Well, he just started to hang around me, walking me home and stuff. And one day we were arguing about something random, I don't even remember what, and he just grabbed my hand!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and prodded, "And…?"

"And I didn't do anything! Okay? I was like, woah, where did that come from!"

"What about your first kiss? HMMM?"

"Well, we were just walking and he suddenly leaned near my face and asked 'Is it all right if I kiss you?'"

"GYAAAHHH! And you let him!" Sakura squealed and hugged her blond haired, blue-eyed friend, not caring about the dirt stains all over Ino's apron that were spreading to her own dress. The two girls laughed and almost lost their balance a number of times in the midst of the excitement. When they had finally calmed down, they both sat on the sidewalk together, arm in arm.

"That's really cool, Ino, Kiba's a really nice guy," Sakura said, "Hinata told me once that he carried this one little boy they found wandering in the woods for a whole day on his back until they found his family. Kiba and Naruto are pretty good friends, too."

Ino looked at the black and gray gravel beneath their blue sandal shoes. She pushed some of the loose pebbles with the tip of her shoe.

"I guess I had always thought he was kind of barbaric or something. But he's really sweet once you get to know him. He said that he and I are alike—only outwardly annoying!" Ino stuck her tongue out and chuckled.

Sakura smiled and gently knocked the side of Ino's head affectionately.

"I'm really happy for you!"

"Thanks," Ino beamed, then added "I guess this means we're not rivals anymore, ne (huh)? You can have Sasuke-kun all to yourself!"

To Ino's surprise, Sakura responded with silence and a pensive, far away look in her eyes.

"No, I gave up on him all ready."

Ino looked at her surprised. She saw a look in Sakura's eyes that reminded her of the time when they were still little kids and Sakura was still shy, quiet, self-conscious, and easily upset. She had been wondering why Sakura hadn't been so energetically into their 'rivalry' since Sasuke's return. During his absence, they didn't really talk about him that much, but when he came back, Ino thought everything was going to go back to the way it was. Now she understood why it hadn't.

"What do you mean? Why?"

Sakura's eyes softened with a look of wistful sadness; she looked as if she were visiting a distant memory.

"The night he left Konoha, I was the last person he talked to. I tried to stop him, keep him from leaving. I even told him how I felt. I mean, it's not like he didn't all ready know that I liked him, but that night, it was different from the way it was when we were all just kids back at the academy. It wasn't just a crush on the cutest guy in class anymore. Since he and I had been teammates, it had become more than that for me, I think. When I tried to keep him from leaving, it felt like I was pouring my heart out to him…"

Ino put an arm over Sakura, giving her a sympathetic hug. Sakura hugged her knees to her chest, some of her pink hair falling forward over her face as she looked down at the ground in front of her. It broke Ino's heart to see her like this. It reminded her too much of the first day she had seen Sakura, crouched in a ball on the floor, hugging her knees to herself, and crying while hiding behind the hair covering half of her face.

"And he just left. Just like that. Everything I said to him…it didn't mean anything to him."

For a moment they sat silently together, side by side, Ino still with her arm around Sakura, and Sakura still huddled in a little ball. Then, Sakura suddenly stood up. Ino looked up at her surprised. The sad look on Sakura's face had passed, and in its place was a cheerful smile, one with just a hint of the resolve to cover up the sadness Ino now knew lurked underneath.

"Well, I just decided it was time to take the hint," Sakura said with a smile, "I'm just really glad he's back here and safe." She held a hand out to Ino who was still sitting on the sidewalk.

"Sakura…" Ino took the offered hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"I've got to go wash up and pick up the dinner my mom made for Sasuke."

"Okay, have fun tonight," Ino said, trying to muster up a cheerful disposition for Sakura's sake.

"No, YOU have fun tonight!" Sakura gave Ino a dramatic wink.

"You're silly," Ino laughed, "Go away now." Ino gave Sakura a playful push.

"Okay, okay, I know, you gotta get ready for your Kiba-kun," Sakura chuckled as she turned to walk away. She felt a spray of water on the back of her head and turned to see Ino pointing the water spray bottle straight at her face. Ino pulled the trigger again, sending a puff of water into her face.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise while wiping some of the moisture off.

"Just helping you wash up," Ino said coolly.

They both stuck their tongues out at each other, and then Sakura left for home.

* * *

Tired of lying down, Sasuke sat up in his hospital bed as the sun set outside his window. He looked out at the red-orange disk that was slowly making its descent towards the distant mountains. Thinking of nothing in particular, his eyes scanned the scenery of Konoha from the third floor hospital room he was in. He was still wearing the light blue, thin fabric hospital wear, and he sat with his left knee up while he leaned on it with his left arm as he turned to the window to his right. His room was almost directly above the front of the hospital entrance, and he could hear the occasional bustle of a nurse or doctor going past his door. Unlike the brightly lit hallway, he had kept the lights in his room closed after everyone had left from visiting him earlier that day. The whole day he basked in the natural light that poured into the room, calmly resting in the rather comfortable hospital bed enjoying the peace, quiet, and solitude.

As he looked out at the grove of trees that surrounded the hospital, he caught a glimpse of pink and red that caused his heart to pound just a little faster than before. Alert, he sat up further and leaned towards the window expectantly as he watched the bright hues of red pink pass through the gaps in the mass of green tree leaves making its way down the path towards the hospital entrance. Sakura stepped out from under the trees, body and face illuminated by the rays of a setting sun. Sasuke felt a slight pang inside his chest when someone else stepped out from under the trees with her. It was Rock Lee, and the two were engaged in animated and enthusiastic talk.

Sasuke's original resolve to share his feelings with her wavered as he watched the two of them talk and laugh. His face softened as a realization crossed through his mind. It was pompous of him to think that she could still had feelings for him, the same feelings she had poured out to him the night he left her alone in the cold and dark. He had, after all, abandoned her. He looked away from the sight outside his window. Maybe it was best that she moved on with her life with some one like Rock Lee who vowed to protect her till death the first time they met, he thought to himself. What had he offered? Years of cold shoulders, aloofness, and brooding silence. He had been surprised when he returned to the village that she and Naruto hadn't become an item during his absence. Even though she obviously detested Naruto back in their years at the academy, Sasuke had noticed that she, like everyone else, had grown fond of the mischievous number one surprise ninja of Konoha, the infamous failure from their academy class who was now an acknowledged great ninja of the village.

He lay back down in his bed on his left side facing away from the window, pulling the blanket over his body all the way up to his nose. Only the top of his head with its spiky dark black-blue hair and his eyes poked out from under the blanket. He stared at the empty seat that was pulled up near his bed for a moment, then closed his eyes to block it out.

A while later, there was light knock on his door, and then in opened a crack and a large, turquoise eye peeked into the room. Sasuke didn't respond. He remained motionless, curled up in his blanket with his eyes closed feigning sleep. Sasuke couldn't overcome the sudden black hole that had opened up inside his chest. It seemed to void everything in him and drain him of all his motivation to do anything. He just wanted to lie there and do nothing.

Sakura tiptoed into the room and walked over to the right side of the bed near the window. She carefully and quietly unwrapped the package she had brought with her and began carefully placing the food her mother had made on the metal tray next to Sasuke's bed. The aroma of the food filled the room with warm and delicious scents, making the hospital quarters suddenly homelier. Despite Sasuke's listless state, his stomach apparently wasn't depressed. It growled loudly as the wisps of delicious odors reached his nose.

He tried to pretend he was still asleep, but soon after his empty stomach had responded so eagerly to the smells of food, he felt something flicking at the black of his right ear, the ear that wasn't buried in the white, fluffy hospital pillow. His hand right hand came up instinctively to swat whatever it was away.

"Oi, your stomach's complaining so get up and eat," Sakura said with a hint of laughter in her voice.

He turned to see Sakura's right hand hovering near his head with her fingers poised for another flick. She gave his cheek one friendly flick.

"Oh, hi Sakura," Sasuke sat up, rubbing his eyes and pretending to shake off sleepiness.

Sakura flicked on the lights, pushing the fading sunlight out of the room and flooding it with bright white light. Through his fake grogginess he examined the food that she was laying out. There were rows of sushi cut rolls in a large black, two level container much like the one Hinata's Naruto onigiri (rice balls) had come in. On the outside surface of these thin, wooden boxes were the rolling patterns of ocean waves splashing across the dark brown and red background. The sushi that were laid out symmetrically inside seemed all the more elegant framed by the beautiful container.

Sakura had put the top layer on the metallic tray and began to pour some steaming hot green tea into two red plastic mugs.

"You will not believe what I found out today!" Sakura began in gossip.

"Huh? Oh, um, what?" Sasuke said, trying to sound interested. He didn't know if he cared to hear about Rock Lee's ventures at that particular time.

"Well, I bumped into Ino earlier today at her family's flower shop, and I invited her to come with me to visit you, but she was like 'I've got plans.'"

"Oh?" Sasuke said uninterested, apparently not picking up on the significance of Ino's refusal to come visit him. Sakura pressed on anyway.

"Then Kiba suddenly appears and kisses her on the cheek! Apparently they're going out! Have been for like a month! Can you believe her? She didn't even tell me!" Sakura said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke replied.

"Gosh, it seems like everyone's growing up. Naruto with Hinata, Tenten with Neji, Choji and Mimi, and now Kiba and Ino! Hahaha, or more like Inu (dog) and Ino!"

Sasuke smiled a bit at the alliteration. He watched as Sakura poured miso soup into red plastic bowls. He decided to hazard some questions into her personal life.

"What about you Sakura? Are you with anyone?"

Sakura had just put the thermos of soup back onto the bed stand behind her, her face turned away from Sasuke. She paused for a moment, and Sasuke studied the back of her head and her body language for some clue.

"No," she replied simply.

"How about that Rock Lee guy? He seems pretty nice," Sasuke pressed.

Sakura turned to him with a bright smile on her face.

"No," she said with a slight shake of her head.

She placed a pair of chop sticks delicately onto the container of sushi on the metal tray in front of her.

"Actually, I was just talking to Lee-san right now. He was asking me for advice on how he should ask out this one genin named Linda a year younger than us. She's really friendly and the two of them are always challenging each other to ridiculously impossible tasks. Just yesterday, they were making laps around the village on their hands! Match made in heaven, let me tell ya," Sakura laughed.

"I told Lee-san to just go for it! And he was like 'Yes, the springtime of youth comes only once!'" Sakura held a fist up and looked intensely upwards emulating Rock Lee's dramatics.

Sasuke laughed with a light-heart, partly because of Sakura's good-spirited mockery of Fuzzy Eyebrows, and partly because he was relieved to hear that Sakura and Lee weren't involved. He watched as Sakura put the metal tray over his lap. He stared down at pristine food displayed in front of him, the resolve that had diminished before returning in full force. It was now or never.

"Sakura—" he said with urgency. He looked up at her purposefully as she sat down in the chair to his left next to his bed. She had made her way around the bed while he was gathering up his resolve, and she looked at him puzzled.

"Hm?"

Sasuke was about to blurt out what was on his mind or kiss her or both, he didn't know what. He just knew he had to do something. But as he looked up at her, he saw that Sakura had wasted no time in stuffing some of the sushi into her face which was now puffed up much like a chipmunk who was storing away bits of nuts in her cheeks for the long winter.

She chewed and gave him a muffled, "What?"

He laughed out, thoroughly amused by the chipmunk version Sakura he'd never witnessed before.

"What? You don't like the way I eat sushi?" Sakura gave him a wry smile after she swallowed her food.

"You know, my mom likes to make her sushi rolls big, and it's hard to bite it little by little because it falls apart! So I like to stuff it all in my face at once," and with that she shoved another one into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up again like a chipmunk.

Sasuke smiled and started on his own food. Copying Sakura, he stuffed one of the large sushi pieces into his mouth, feeling his own cheeks puff out.

"See! It tastes better that way, ne (huh)?" Sakura said with a laugh. The two laughed and chatted as they enjoyed the meal. After the boxes were empty, and they were quite full and satisfied with their meal, they sipped their tea quietly as they digested their food.

"Tell your mom I said thanks for the food. It was delicious," Sasuke said.

"You can tell her yourself tomorrow when you get discharged from the hospital."

"Aren't you going to see her before that?"

"No, I'm spending the night right here to keep you company," Sakura said with a friendly wink.

"Oh, no, it's okay, I'm fine," Sasuke declined the offer, seeing that there was no comfortable sleeping space in the room besides the bed.

"Well, that and I wanted to read some of the books from the hospital's reference library. I can't take them out of the building you know," Sakura smiled, and then added, "I've been here the last two nights. One more night isn't going to kill me."

Sasuke looked at her a bit surprised. He didn't know that she had been in his room the whole time of he was unconscious.

"Thanks…" Sasuke began.

"No, thank you for giving me an excuse to make use of the medical books here," she joked and stuck out her tongue at him. She got up and started to clean up the trays, cups, bowls, and utensils of their meal. She flicked the switch for the lights off, smiling over her shoulder, "Look, a full moon. It's nice isn't it? I brought a small reading light for me so you don't have to sit under the bright lights while I read." She stood by the window for a moment, looking out at the now darkened sky sparkling stars. The moonlight painted her face with a smooth, porcelain surface while her turquoise eyes shimmered in the twilight. A restful smile lay across her lips, the sight of a peaceful Konoha preparing for another night of sleep bringing a calm joy to her heart. Sasuke looked at her thoughtful expression as she looked out the window bathed in the natural silver evening light. Her red dress draped off of her athletic frame. Like the rest of her body, her bare arms were tone and cut, evidence of her incessant training since the last Chuunin exams. She wasn't the same giddy school girl of times past, yet at the same time she retained something of her basic spirit that had been apparent since they were children. She was a young woman in full bloom, determined to be a great ninja with a compassionate heart for those around her.

"Sakura…I mean, you know, you can't take life for granted…being a ninja and all…I was wondering… about you and me…how do you feel…" Sasuke stuttered on, making little sense even to himself. His thoughts seemed to be processing through his mind at an unintelligible speed as his heart pounded and his breath shortened, both normally rhythmic body systems suddenly sporadic and irregular.

Sakura's eyes softened and she looked away from the beautiful scenery down to the edge of the plain sterile window sill in front of her. She leaned the right side of her body against the wall next to the window.

"You and me?" she seemed to muse casually.

Then she turned to Sasuke, half of her face in partial shadow, as she smiled cheerfully and said, "We're friends…and teammates, right?"

Sasuke looked up at her, trying to make sense of what it was she was really thinking, but to no avail.

"The night I left, you…" Sasuke began, but Sakura gave him no time to finish, waving his voice away with her left hand and looking back out into the distant landscape view outside the window. The world seemed covered in a deep blanket of blue, clear and peaceful on another silent night.

"Oh, yeah, gomen (sorry), I'm sure it made you uncomfortable, me getting all mushy like that," Sakura said as she crossed her arms, slightly hugging herself as if a chill had come into the room.

"Well, about that…I…" Sasuke began again. But again, Sakura cut him short.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore. I can take a hint. I'm just glad you're back here and safe with all of us," Sakura said with a smile, still looking out the window. For a moment she paused, lost in the cold of that night long ago, paralyzed by the heart break she felt when she awoke covered in morning dew the next day to find that Sasuke had left Konoha…had left her. Inside, she tucked away the hollowness that was filling her chest and was about to turn and throw Sasuke the most cheerful smile she could muster only to find that Sasuke was out of bed and standing right next to her.

Sakura looked at him with wide eyes, not able to comprehend what was happening. He had a look in his dark eyes that was a mixture of regret, sorrow, and anxiety that Sakura didn't know how to interpret. His dark, ashen-blue hair glowed, perfectly matching the blue hues of the night-time light that illuminated it, framing his face in a sort of ethereal state. Before Sakura could figure out how to react, Sasuke had lifted his right hand up to her left cheek, sliding his rough, calloused fingers across the surface of her skin, sending chills up and down her spine. His hand gently pressed against her cheek and his fingers slipping into some of the pink hair under her ear, Sasuke leaned in towards her face. Instinctively, Sakura leaned her own head backwards away from him in surprise, bumping the back of her head slightly against the wall she was leaning against. He paused for a moment, searching her face with his concerned eyes, then continued to lean his face in towards hers. As his lips neared hers, he paused yet again, giving her ample opportunity to pull away or punch him or whatever. At that close proximity, he knew a strike from her would probably knock him out for a few hours. His eyes drooped and as he saw hers do the same, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips lightly against hers in a simple kiss that he held for just a moment, and then he pulled away.

Sakura's insides were melting in a smooth flowing sensation. For that moment, she let go of all her fears and anxieties, all the sad and painful memories, and let herself just be. As Sasuke pulled his face away from hers, she reopened her eyes to look into his anxious ones. Sasuke searched her eyes for the next emotion that would replace the mild shock she showed, having no idea what her reaction would be. To his own surprise and dismay, they welled up with tears that broke free and streamed down the corners of her face. They weren't tears of joy; the furrowed brow and look of pain that played across her features attested to that.

"Gomen (I'm sorry), I shouldn't have…are you okay?" Sasuke said with concern painted all over his features.

"No, I just…I just…" Sakura said, sniffling and wiping away her tears, "I just don't understand what's going on here. Why…why did you just do that?"

Sasuke instinctively brought his hand up to wipe away a tear streaming down her face with the back of his finger.

"I just…wanted to show you…how much I care about you," Sasuke said weakly.

"But you left me, that night, you just left, I just don't understand…" Sakura said.

A pained look shot across his countenance.

"Gomen (I'm sorry). I hope…I hope one day you can forgive me for doing that."

He put both of his hands up to her face and placed his forehead against hers.

"Gomen," he said again. One side of him told him he should just leave the poor girl alone and stop torturing her with his presence, but he couldn't bear to leave the tears she shed unattended, tears that he had caused. He wrapped his arms around her and with one hand, cradled her head against his left shoulder. Firmly in his embrace, Sakura let out an unfettered sob and she began to cry uncontrollably, her body shaking. Sasuke held her as her body convulsed. It felt like a dam had broken, and all the feelings that she had been holding back for so long poured forth in a deluge of salty tears.

After a while, Sakura calmed down and Sasuke grabbed some tissue and handed it to her. She cleaned her face and regained her composure, occasionally hiccupping slightly.

"Gomen, I shouldn't have just kissed you like that…" Sasuke said, placing one hand on her shoulder to comfort and steady her as she sat down on the bed sideways facing him as he sat facing her.

"No, it's just, I don't know, I guess I'd been holding in so much emotion and it all just came pouring out," Sakura said as she steadied her speech and tried to rid her voice of the nasally sound that stifled it.

"So," she said with a hiccup and a weak smile, "you can't just go around kissing girls like that, you know. You'll have to be my boyfriend or I'll have beat you up for being a sleezy playboy."

Sasuke smiled at her half joke and half serious statement.

"It's a deal," he said, his heart fluttered with happiness that mixed in with the regret he felt for putting her through so much grief.

She put a fist up to his face.

"I'm serious you know! That was my first kiss, and I hate sleezy guys!" she joked and gave a nasally laugh.

"Ah," he replied, putting a hand over her fist and pushing it down. His other hand went up to her face again, holding her cheek and brushing away the wetness on it with his thumb. Sakura blushed as he leaned in towards her and kissed her again. She hiccupped in the middle of the kiss and they both laughed awkwardly, embarrassed and red-faced, but happy nonetheless in their newfound intimacy.

_

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_

_Note: Yay for SasuSaku! Okay, got the NaruHina coming up, and some more Kyuubi development. I'm glad people are enjoying the Kyubi's growth! I'm also toying with the idea of just throwing in some shorts on the Choji x Mimi OC (I think OC is for Original Couple?), Neji x Tenten, and Ino x Inu. Since they're out of sync with the story's chronology, they'll just be extra little scenes thrown in, so I guess if you're not fond of the pairings, you can skip them and it won't affect the plot, which is of course heavily reliant on the NaruHina and SasuSaku at this point. Also, I haven't forgotten about Shikamaru and Temari…Shikamaru cracks me up! I'm looking forward to the Chuunin Exams! They'll be hard to write, but lots of fun nonetheless! Please look forward to the next chapter!_

_Random Note: For those in the Hidden Village of San Fracisco, check out the anime fair in Japan Town this weekend!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Note: My hands have been cramping up from too much typing! So sorry for delays! Such is the life of a writer! Btw, for all you Hinata fans out there, I mentioned her in an article I published and they put her picture there! Yay Hinata! Just go to asianweek dot com and search 'hinata' and my article should show up in the results. I was going to do the extra pairings in this chapter, but it came out so rather lengthy all ready and my wrists are cramping up so I think I'll put all the short pairing scenes (Neji x Tenten, Kiba x Ino, Rock x Linda, Chouji x Mimi) in a special Valentines chapter or something. I guess that would be a real filler chapter, ne? For now, here's the continuation of the main plot-line. Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

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All The Difference 15 

Naruto strolled down the path to the front gate of the Hyuuga mansion compound. The sky was still dark with the faintest hint of light creeping across its deep blue hues. He had requested a training lesson with Hiashi, and after a week's wait, Hiashi was finally available this morning. As usual, Hiashi asked him to meet at the break of dawn. Naruto was excited. He wanted to refine his Hidden Kunai chakra control. The corner of his lip curved up in a half smile—he had an idea for how to combine it with another technique he had learned. He couldn't wait to try it out.

As he approached the gate, his thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Hinata kneeling silently by the front of the gates. Worry spreading across his face as he ran to her.

"Hinata! What happened? Why are you out here?"

Her face was tilted forward, and she looked down at her lap, her eyes covered in the shadows of her bangs. In her hands, which were resting in her lap, was a small piece of cloth folded around something. She held it tenderly, as if it held something very precious and dear to her. Naruto kneeled down in front of her and put his left hand on her shoulder. His right hand came up to her face, cupping her cheek in his palm. Her skin was cold and frigid; it seems she'd been out here for quite some time. His other hand came up and held her other cheek, trying to warm her face.

"Hinata! You'll catch a cold! What happened?"

Out from the shadow of her eyes streamed tears that flowed over both her own face and his two hands. The tears dripped down onto the precious package she held in her hand. Then she looked up at him, her features trembling with a grief that broke Naruto's heart.

"I woke up in the middle of the night…felt that there was something wrong…and then I realized…I found…"

Her voice was unsteady as well, and she lifted her hands up to him, a pleading look in her eyes. He let go of her face and delicately unfolded the cloth she held. Nestled among the folds of the cloth was the tiny body of a small kitten, all black with a white puff on its tail. Kyubi-chan lay lifeless, innocent and helpless in its fragility.

"He was eating less and less, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong…he was still alive when I picked him up…then he convulsed horribly and…" she broke down into sobs, the sound of her anguished cries echoing through the growing morning light of a new day, a day her precious little Kyubi-chan would not share. Naruto stroked the tiny kitten's fir with a single finger one last time. Then he covered up the poor thing. Hinata held the cloth to her pounding heart, her chest wracked by the sobs she let out with so much abandon. She made no attempt to hide her grief. It overwhelmed her.

Silent tears streamed down Naruto's face, too, as he embraced her.

"I should have…I should have…" Hinata's muffled voice came out as her mind raced through all the things she could have done to save Kyubi-chan. Naruto responded by holding her tighter.

The two sat there holding each other as the sun peaked over the horizon, pouring its red light onto the land. For a moment, everything was drenched in deep red hues, a red that was reminiscent of the color of the infamous nine-tail demon that once threatened Konoha with destruction.

_Why is she so sad? She's only known that thing for three days._

Though the content of Kyubi's words was full of sarcasm and cynicism, Naruto could sense that his tone betrayed something else.

"She cared about Kyubi-chan. That's all you need to feel sad when someone dies."

_This is almost as stupid as you getting all worked up over that little girl._

Again, the tone and content of Kyubi's message didn't match. Naruto didn't respond. Inside him, the demon's eyes softened for the first time in its conscious existence. Hinata was too upset to notice, but Naruto's body suddenly warmed with a glow of red chakra that spread lightly to her. Though still crying, Hinata's chilled body was brought slowly and gently to a comfortable, warm temperature. Though still grief-stricken, Naruto couldn't help but give a small smile as he sent a silent feeling of gratitude to place deep inside of himself.

* * *

Hinata sat on the flat rock by the waterfall, her right hand held fast the kunai that Naruto had given her, its chain protectively wound about her right wrist. She had used it to dig Kyubi-chan's grave, and they had buried the tiny creature by the waterfall where she and Naruto often spent their days off together in privacy. The pain of the loss still weighed heavily upon her, draining her of all motivation to do anything, but mixed in with it was a growing sense of terror. She had named the kitten after the demon inside Naruto. Its passing seemed like a bad omen of things to come, as if anything the demon touched, even if by mere association, would be destroyed. At the thought of that, Hinata grabbed Naruto's arm and buried her face into his arm. Naruto had been pulling their lunch out of a bag and laying out the assortment of wrapped onigiri and boxed bentos along with disposable chopticks and two cans of ice tea. He turned to look at Hinata's head of dark blue hair and felt her face as she pressed it against his arm. Saying nothing, he put his arms around her and pulled her to himself, cradling her in front of him ask if she were a child. Even without her byakuugan talents, Naruto knew what she was thinking, the fear she felt, the fear of losing him. He knew because he felt it, too. The thought of Hinata's life going out like a crackling ember in cold winter winds terrified him to no end. He didn't know what he would do if she was gone; he didn't want to be alone again in the solitary confinement of his own jigoku (hell). The memory of her spiritless body in the hospital bed after Itachi's attack chilled him inside on this warm, sunny day. He held her tighter, as if that would somehow hold the life in her body and keep it from blowing away in the light breeze. 

After a long while of silence in each other's arms, the two drew comfort from each other's presence and the sharing of the grief and fear they felt. The sounds of the chirping birds, the fluttering of butterfly wings, and the steady roar of the small waterfall reached their ears.

"Ne (hey), let's eat, okay?" Hinata said in her soft voice as she tried to muster a smile.

Naruto smiled back warmly and kissed her on the forehead. Then he turned and grabbed the food and handed it to her. They ate their meal in silence, enjoying the sounds of the forest around them, which was a dynamic and complex symphony accompanying the rich smells and vivid colors that sparkled and glowed in the beams of sunlight that made it through the thick foliage.

"Kyubi-chan will like it here," Naruto said, looking up and allowing a beam of light to fall upon his face.

"Mm," Hinata agreed with a sad smile, as her eyes looked down into the clear liquid flowing over the rocks and pebbles.

They finished their meal and, feeling quite stuffed, lay back on the flat rock side by side, using their back packs for pillows. Hand in hand, they drifted off into a light sleep, the mist from the waterfall floating over them, sparkling in the sunbeams, and then evaporating into the sky.

Hinata awoke not too long after, and turned to her right to look at Naruto, her hand still in his. Her eyes grew wide with mild shock. Naruto was turned towards her with eyes wide open staring at her, but that wasn't what had shocked her. Where bright blue eyes once sparkled lay the blood red eyes of they Kyubi demon. The slits of black pupils stared at Hinata, deeply pensive and intensely analytical. Despite the fear she felt, Hinata's hand tightened around Naruto's.

"It's okay to be afraid of me, I'm pretty fearsome," the Kyubi's voice mingled with Naruto's voice, the rumblings of the demon's deep vocals resonating with the sounds of the young man's voice.

"Naruto…?" Hinata had to ask, for she didn't know how much of Naruto she was speaking with and how much of Kyubi lay in those eyes.

"He's asleep," the dual voice seemed to flow viscously out into the peaceful air.

"What…? How…?" Hinata's timid voice was still soft, but the confusion and mixture of fear and concern clearly evident in her speech. She finally found the sentence she was looking for.

"I've never seen this happen before."

The Kyubi possessed Naruto nodded knowingly.

"Usually, he is in control when traces of me show outwardly. But you are correct, this has never happened before."

"Then how…?"

"Naruto let me, not really consciously, but he…he trusts me."

Trust. Another new concept Kyubi had seen Naruto show others, had watched others give to Naruto, but the experience of it first hand, the giving of trust to his demonic being, was more than he could describe in words. He felt the word come out of his mouth, and he felt it completely inadequate in explaining what he felt but at the same time saying exactly what he meant.

Kyubi released her hand and sat up; Hinata sat up as well, putting a hand around Naruto's arm. Kyubi looked down at her hand clasped around his arm, then looked into her concerned eyes.

"You love him." The demon stated it simply and watched with mild curiosity as Hinata nodded her head steadily in affirmation.

"Do not worry, he is fine. He is just asleep."

Hinata blinked, not sure of what to make of the situation. Kyubi looked up with his blood red pupils up at the scene around him, Hinata's hand still firmly gripping onto his arm.

"It is…peaceful here."

Hinata examined the Kyubi's eyes as they looked from butterfly to waterfall, from tree leaf to bird, from flower to spraying mist. She listened to his words, the tone of his voice harmonizing with Naruto's own voice. Despite the ominously red eyes and the low and deep voice, the Kyubi looked and sounded to her like a child exploring the world for the first time, trying out new words to see if they fit what he was trying to say.

After a moment of silence, the demon spoke again, giving Hinata a matter of fact look.

"Your Kyubi-chan likes it here."

The corners of Hinata's eyes crinkled up in confusion, and she shook her head lightly as if to ask what he meant.

"Look," the demon said simply and put his other hand on her hand, the one that grasped his arm.

Suddenly, Hinata's byakuugan activated involuntarily and she gasped as the 360 vision came into to sharp focus and then changed to what seemed like an even more focused view of her surroundings. She had never experienced her bloodline limit with such intensity, as if something where feeding into it and enhancing it beyond its normal capabilities. Kyubi's eyes turned and looked at a spot on the opposite bank at the base of some trees growing near the stream. Hinata followed the gaze and at the spot where the Kyubi stared, she detected a slight glimmering movement. It was like the shadow of chakra, if something like that were possible. Slowly, as she concentrated on the glimmering movement, she gasped again as she realized what she was looking at. She made out the outline of a tiny kitten jumping up at a butterfly that flew by. It landed on the ground again, twirled in a circle happily and jumped up again throwing a paw at the flying target. The paw went right through the butterfly, the insect oblivious to the kitten playing with its flight path.

A few tears welled up at the corners of Hinata's eyes as she watched the shadow of her kitten dancing and playing on the forest floor. Then she felt Kyubi move his hand away, and her byakuugan was returned to its normal state. Hinata looked and looked at the spot, but could see nothing more than the regular sights her bloodline limit allowed. She allowed the veins and nerves around her eyes to smooth out. The Kyubi lay back down, propping its head up on Naruto's backpack, hands behind head and arms stretched over his shoulders. The large, red eyes looked up at the ceiling of the forest foliage, examining the patterns of blue sky that could be seen through the darkness of the shadows under the leaves.

Hinata looked down at Kyubi, shifting her body so that she sat kneeling by his side, one hand still on his arm.

"Arigato (Thank you)," she said, wiping away some tears with her free hand.

"Ah," Kyubi threw her a glance, then went back to the patterns of light in the tree tops.

Hinata took a deep breath.

"Thank you…thank you also for protecting Naruto all these years. I know there were times when he probably wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for your help…"

Kyubi looked at her casually.

"Most of the time I was just protecting myself, so you need not thank me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Still…" Hinata said, "You protected him and that has made all the difference for me."

Kyubi's only response was the shrug and go back enjoying the sights and sounds. As far back as it could remember, Kyubi has known only the impulse to destroy, to abandon everything and drown in anger, anger at not understanding what the point of existing was, anger at being used again and again by countless beings because of his massive power. He was after all the most powerful of the tailed demons. Here through Naruto's eyes and by Hinata's side, he saw another side to existence.

Hinata looked at Kyubi's eyes, blood red and ominous. With just the relaxed form of her byakuugan, she could see the powerful red chakra that poured out of Naruto's body as if it were an eternal spring of energy. She wondered what it must be like seeing the world through eyes like that, with a chakra essence as powerful as that. She watched as the Naruto's eyelids drooped over those demonic eyes. The Kyubi fell into a relaxed state and fell asleep. Hinata could see the red chakra retreating, the leaking flow of power ceasing, and the normal blue chakra system of Naruto resurfacing from the scarlet mists.

She raised a hand and pushed aside a stray golden hair away from Naruto's closed eyes, then let her fingers touch gently against his skin and slide down the right side of his face over his whiskered cheek. Naruto's eyes opened sleepily, the blood red iris gone, replaced again with the usual clear blue of the bright-eyed ninja she knew so well. Naruto blinked away the sleepiness and looked up at Hinata who was looking down at him tenderly. He smiled, and then pressed his face against her hand.

"I was talking to Kyubi-chan just now."

Naruto propped himself up on his elbows, then rubbed his eyes.

"Eh?"

He gave her a puzzled look, and his curiosity was further heightened when she gave him a meaningful look, searching his eyes for something.

"When I woke up, you were looking right at me, but it wasn't you, it was Kyubi-chan. Your eyes were all red, like they were the day you came to save me at Boss Tanaka's mansion."

"So desu ka (Is that so)?" Naruto said, slightly surprised that the Kyubi demon inside him had chosen to come out while he was asleep and chat with Hinata. A few years ago, he would have been shocked, even highly alarmed that the Kyubi had taken over his body. Especially back before he knew that it was a demon in his body that had been speaking in his mind throughout his childhood, back when he thought the Kyubi was just an ominous voice in his head, a deviant part of himself that had taken the shape of a cruel voice and personality separate from his own. But recently, he had felt closer to the Kyubi, as if they had become friends or even…brothers.

Naruto raised a hand and held her face.

"Are you okay? Did he scare you?" His eyes were full of tender concern as he searched her features for any sign of distress. Hinata shook her head lightly to indicate to him that she was fine.

"I was a little scared, but it was okay. Kyubi…Kyubi-chan was okay."

She smiled at Naruto, clearly glad to see that _he_ was okay. He smiled back.

"Don't worry," he said.

"Mmh," Hinata affirmed with a cheerful nod of her head, for she, too, had learned to trust the demon inside of her koishii (beloved).

Naruto laid back down on the cool, flat rock surface, resting his head again on his backpack.

"It sure is peaceful here…" Naruto thought out loud.

Hinata lay down next to him, laying her head on his chest as she pressed her ear against it. Within the echoes of sounds inside his chest that reverberated off of flesh and bone, she heard Naruto's heartbeat, steady and strong. She also heard the unfathomable resonance of something low and deep that played alongside the hum of Naruto's life-giving organs.

"Yes, quite peaceful…" she responded thoughtfully in her soft voice. Naruto placed one hand on her head and the other on her back as she lay there listening to his heartbeat.

* * *

Sakura looked over at Sasuke. He had been discharged from the hospital that morning and they had had a brunch at her house, compliments of her mother. Now they were busy working on the Uchiha clan neighborhood again which had been looking progressively more inhabitable since they began their little project. This was especially true of Sasuke's old home. 

They were in the living room and Sasuke was busy rebuilding the old sliding door that opened the large tatami room to a run down tea garden. They had cleared out all the broken down furniture and equipment, and Sakura was working on rewiring the room so that electricity could bring light and warmth back to a family room that had been cold and lifeless too long. She looked away from Sasuke's working form back to the wires she held in her own hands. Twisting them around each other, she taped up the exposed wiring with black, sticky, electric tape. Then she went over to the light switch near the other end of the room next to the opening that connected the living room to the kitchen. Flicking on the newly installed lights in the room, the large, white, and rectangular paper lamp that hung in the middle of the room lit up casting a soft yet bright light on everything in the room. The tatami mats shined beautifully, showing off Sasuke's hard work in cleaning them. The walls also glowed in a comfortable beige that Sakura had painted on them; the clean walls were framed by the strips of dark brown wooden beams that supported the home. Sasuke looked up from his work, wiping his sweat covered forehead with the back of his hand.

"Wow, it looks great," he said with a deep breath as he stood up and surveyed the scene, "It looks a lot like it did back then."

Sakura smiled as she made her way over to his side to see the view from his perspective. She looked into the room and then turned to look out into the run down garden. Then she turned to Sasuke and saw he was staring at her, his cheeks flushed with red. Her own flushed red as well. Shyly, Sasuke reached out a hand and hooked a few fingers around hers. Sakura smiled and leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, then the two stood hand in hand as they surveyed the fruits of their work.

"Ano (um), Sakura? Do you think you can do that healing technique again?"

"Of course," Sakura smiled caringly, then added, "Was there something in particular you wanted to remember?"

Sasuke stared at the now bright but still empty room, then turned his gaze to the garden outside.

"No, I just want to remember the regular stuff I guess, the every day stuff that I took for granted," Sasuke said as he gave Sakura's hand a squeeze and a smile to show he appreciated being with her at that moment. She raised her free hand to his forehead, placing the tips of her middle and index finger against the warm skin between his eyebrows.

"Ready?" she asked gently.

"Ah," he affirmed. He watched as she closed her eyes, and then he closed his own, too. The tips of Sakura's fingers began to glow with a blue light as she molded her chakra and began to surgically delve into Sasuke's neural networks.

Sasuke opened his eyes and saw again the house and the living room the way it was back when he was a child. He took a deep breath. Sakura had helped him remember a number of things since that first session in the kitchen. Regaining the pleasant memories of his childhood was like a godsend. The images that his brother had fed him of the horrific murder of his family and clan had lessened in their intensity as they were replaced with the strengthened memories of the everyday lives of the Uchiha clan members the way Sasuke had experienced them.

He looked out at the modest garden as it sat peacefully in its shades of brown, green, and gray, well-tended and clean. He put a hand on the sliding door that he had been fixing; pushing it back and forth, he found that it slid smoothly making the pleasant sounds of wood against wood. He realized at that moment that his hand was tiny. He looked at it as if it weren't his own hand, then raised his other hand for examination. They were the hands of a five year old. He realized he must be visiting an early memory, and he wondered what this memory was. Many of the memories he'd been reconstructing with Sakura's help seemed to have lay dormant in his subconscious. They became familiar after they played out, as if he was reminded about something that he had long forgotten, but often it felt like he was experiencing it all for the first time.

He stepped out into the garden, trying out his tiny feet on the stone steps that created a small stepping path across the grass and flowing streams of pebbles laid down to imitate real water. Looking up, he saw the bright blue sky framed by the walls and roofs of his home. Everything was vivid and bright, full of color and life. He breathed in the fresh air slowly and then exhaled just as slowly, his whole body relaxing.

The peaceful scene was broken by a scream. A stray kunai suddenly embedded itself into the soft soil of the garden making a whizzing noise as it went for its mark. Sasuke gasped and looked up to see that a number of unidentified shinobi had suddenly lined the roof tops of his home and roofs of his neighbors homes around him. His gasp had caught their attention, and his five-year old body stood paralyzed in shock and fear of the ominous figures that now turned their gazes upon him. One of them looked at another and the other responded with a sharp nod. The figures descended upon him, some brandishing kunai while others pulled out ropes from within the folds of their dark clothes.

Before he could call out, Sasuke saw out of the corner of his eye a flash of white and a flapping of blue. He turned and realized that he was looking at the kind face of his own mother, her dark hair flowing behind her like a velvet fire as she flew in front of him. Then he watched the back of his mother, her white blouse and long blue dress moving like the waves of an ocean. She crouched for a moment, then took flight up into the air above him and in a single swoop and without a single weapon in her hand, knocked out all of the attacking ninja. They fell to the ground with heavy thuds, crushing some of the plants in the garden, denting the grassy floor, or sending sprays of pebbles flying up into the air.

His mother landed in front of him in gracefully, her hair and clothes settling into calm as she stood up slowly. Then she turned around and smiled sweetly down at Sasuke, and he saw that she didn't have a single mark on her, not even a speck of dust. She crouched down to his level and held his tiny face affectionately in her two large hands.

"Daijobu desu ka (Are you okay)?" she asked while still smiling pleasantly.

Sasuke's tiny head nodded. In his baby voice, he said in astonishment, "Okaasan tsuyoi (You're strong, Mother)."

His mother smiled cheerfully and she laughed a bit, her voice coming out like beautiful bells into the brisk air.

"All Konoha jounin have to be strong."

Sasuke looked up at his loving mother, felt the warmth of her hands on his face, the tenderness in her gaze as she checked him for injuries. On his face was a look of astonishment.

"How did you get so strong?" he asked with a tone of wonder in his baby voice.

"My mind, my soul, and my body are strong because I love my family. I love your father, I love your brother, and I love you. With all of my heart. That's how I became strong."

She smiled warmly at him, and Sasuke could feel the warmth of her smile relax him to the core of his being, and he felt that he was in a place where nobody could ever hurt him, a place where he was forever safe.

"Are you two all right?"

The moment was ended as the questioned was asked by a figure up on the roof. Sasuke turned his gaze away from his mother to look up at the figure. The source of the voice was pitch black at first with the sun shining brightly behind it making it difficult to make out the features of the person's face. As Sasuke's eyes adjusted to the lighting, the form of his brother's body quickly took shape and soon Sasuke could make out the red sharingan eyes that glowed from the head of that figure.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt himself paralyzed with fear, the three swirling black spots in his brother's eyes suddenly turning in to sharp swirling blades. The world around him in his memory suddenly lost its bright and colorful vividness. The blue sky faded into shades of red and black, the buildings around him turning black and abysmal outlined only by glowing red lines. Sasuke felt his mother pulled away from him, sucked into the training dojo across the garden. He ran after her, his right hand reaching out for her as he screamed.

"OKAASAN! OKAASAN!" Sasuke's voice was drenched with panic. He threw open the doors to the dojo. There he saw it again, the image of his parents on their knees, sitting helpless as his brother towered over them with his glowing red eyes. The sound of metallic slicing cut through the air, and Sasuke stood again paralyzed as he watched his parents' lifeless bodies slump to the wooden floor. Outside the window the blood red sky with its black clouds swirled by as if the earth were spinning out of control heading straight for the sun's merciless core.

Itachi stepped into the unnatural light that poured in through the window. As he came into view, his form shrunk down to the size of a child. Sasuke found himself staring at a mirror image of himself, holding a bloodied sword and standing without mourning over his dead parents. He felt a boiling horror rise from within himself as he watched his mirror image raise one hand up its face and begin to pull away the skin around its eye. Underneath the ripped skin was the yellow, slit eye of a deadly snake with slippery, scaly skin. In his ears rang his own screams and the screams of the dying Uchiha clan.

The mirror image began to walk towards him, the skin on half of its face hanging loose in a sickening manner, the blood covered sword pointing out dripping in the red, viscous liquid.

Sasuke took a step back, and a cold wind blew through him, freezing him to the bone. He watched in terror as the demonic image of himself inched closer and closer, its eyes starved, and Sasuke felt its want to consume him.

Then the wind suddenly turned into a warm breeze and through the invisible, moving air sprinkled something unexpected—pink petals of sakura blossoms. Sakura, still in her young adult form, came and stood between him and the possessed mirror image of himself. She was facing Sasuke, covering Sasuke's view of the horrifying image behind her. She crouched down to his level, much the way his mother had just moments earlier, and held his face in her hands.

"Daijobu (It's okay), Sasuke," Sakura's soothing voice reached his ears, causing the deafening screams that assaulted him to die down. Then she wrapped her arms around him. Being in child form, Sasuke felt his whole being was enveloped in Sakura's embrace, and he was pulled away from the horrifying nightmare back to a place of warmth and security. Over her shoulder, he saw the demonic image of himself fade away and the surrounding world regained its nature colors. The sky turned a friendly blue again and the clouds fluffed out white as well. Sasuke realized he had awoken from the waking dream and found himself back out in the garden and in Sakura's arms. His whole body was shaking and he tried to stifle the sobs that began to wrack his body in the red cloth of Sakura's dress that covered her right shoulder. She held him tighter.

"G-..go...gomen (I'm sorry)," he barely got out, his voice trembling with the convulsing of his body.

"No, daijobu (It's all right)," she said as she held him. She cradled the top half of Sasuke's torso in her arms with his face pressed against her right shoulder. His left arm was wrapped loosely around her waist and back while his right hand pressed against his chest, as if he were trying to force the convulsions to stop.

Tears streamed down her face. In truth, she trembled terribly inside from the horrific images she witnessed in his mind, but the resolve to comfort him and the bursting fountain of sympathy that welled up within her calmed her trembling so that outwardly, she was solid in her embrace of him as he shook. Above all, she was saddened that he had had to experience so much horror. She looked down and saw the dark cursed mark of Orochimaru on his neck. Lowering her head, she kissed the bruise that had terrified her for so many years, then caressed her tear-drenched cheek against it.

"Everything's going to be okay," she said reassuringly as Sasuke's body calmed and slowed in its spasms. She resolved again to put everything in her being into freeing him from the clutches of Orochimaru.

* * *

Naruto was on his way home after walking Hinata to her house. He could tell she was still deeply upset, but she was definitely much more cheerful than when he had found her that morning. On a whim, he decided to stop by the tiny wharf where he used to see Sasuke sitting by himself all the time when they were children. He stood at the edge of the sturdy, wooden structure and looked down at the waters that began to darken in the growing twilight. Some fireflies began to take flight around the water's edge reflecting off of the black waters like stars floating in the mirrored sky. 

_What is power?_

The deep voice of the Kyubi demon echoed from inside of Naruto.

"What do you think it is?"

Kyubi fell silent. He had thought he knew what power was. He knew he was known as the most powerful of the tailed demons, one with an endless chakra flow. And that was why people have throughout history used him in their wars. Lately, though, he had begun to doubt his own understanding of the concept of power.

_I used to think…power was the ability to destroy._

"And now?" Naruto prodded.

Naruto felt the Kyubi sigh inside, and he felt the demon's frustration at not being able to formulate its thoughts into a coherent sentence. Naruto looked out at the trees that surrounded the water, the fireflies that danced in the growing darkness, and the water that glimmered in the rising moonlight.

"I know it sounds corny to say that the ability to create is power, but if you think about it, I could destroy this place right here with the rasengufu right now, then rebuild it with the special technique Hinata and I learned together. You and I both know it takes a lot more chakra to regrow the trees than it does to destroy them. Also, even if I did re-grow the trees, they wouldn't be the same trees anymore. I wouldn't be able to remake everything I destroyed exactly the way it was before I destroyed it. So if you think about it, creation is more powerful than destruction because it's so much harder."

The Kyubi inside him shifted its weight as it listened to Naruto's thoughtful musings.

"Then take Hinata for example. What amount of destruction could make her love me? What amount of creation could make her love me? That's a whole different thing, relationships that is. So what's power there?"

_So what is power then?_

Naruto shrugged and took in a deep breath.

"I don't know, but I know it's not the ability to destroy."

Through Naruto's eyes, the Kyubi looked out upon the quiet night scenery, and the infamously evil demon that had once threatened Konoha's destruction with his endless chakra and powerful tails that could flatten mountains, this being of malevolence suddenly found the view beautiful and pleasing to his innermost being. The two entities, young man and demonic spirit, shared in the moment and felt the same essence of joy in being alive.

_

* * *

Note: Thanks for reading and hope it was worth your time! Coming up is some more bonding between ninjas and preparations for the Chuunin exam! Please look forward to the next chapter! _


	16. Chapter 16

_Note: I'm alive! Sorry for the delay in updates. I had a serious project to take care of that ate up all of my writing chakra. I hope at least some of this was worth the wait. I looking forward to sharing the rest of this fanfic story with all of you. Thank you for your patience and above all for putting time and energy into reading my fanfics! Oh, by the way, if you haven't seen it all ready, I made a NaruHina AMV posted on youtube dot com under user "tinabot". I hope you enjoy that, too! Check out Uzumaki Girl's award winning video, too! She's first post under my AMV. :D_

_Random Note: I recommend watching the J-Drama called Densha Otoko (you can find it on youtube dot com as well)! It's great! Also, I discovered a cool internet anime music radio station at animeacademyradio dot net. Check it out! _

* * *

All The Difference 16

The sound of chirping insects filled the night air as Sasuke and Sakura stepped out of her house. They had just had a hearty meal, and Sasuke was going to be on his way home. A lot was weighing on his mind.

"Sakura…" he began, and then faltered.

"Hm?" Sakura responded, the tone of her voice was positive and merry.

"About what happened this afternoon, I'm…I'm really sorry," he finally got out. He looked down at the gray, cold cement under her feet.

Giving him a sympathetic smile, Sakura began, "Oh, no, it's okay, I—" She reached out a hand to touch his face as she spoke, but he pulled away out of her reach. Her heart tensed at that, feeling hurt from his sudden, cold withdrawal.

Sasuke's mind was as withdrawn and cold as his demeanor. Regaining his memories of his childhood had been such a blessing, but today's episode, the intrusion of the nightmares into his real memories showed him that he wasn't clearly winning against the dark terrors his brother had given him. It felt like they would never leave him at peace; _Itachi_ would never leave him in peace. Just the memory of him had pulled Sasuke into the dreadful memory of the day his brother wiped out his entire clan. And this cursed body of his, the new terror that Orochimaru had fused into him, was strong and alive in him as well. He shivered at the memory of the demonic image of himself and the sickeningly yellow eye staring out at him from beneath the peeling skin of his face. Sakura shouldn't be touching such a cursed body. He should have thought of this sooner.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked concerned, the hurt apparent in her voice.

"Nothing, I…just feel really tired, that's all," Sasuke lied as he moved to turn away, "I'll see you later—"

He felt Sakura's hand on his shoulder as he turned away from her. He shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it, I'll just see you tomorrow," he said as he took a step.

"Wait a minute!" Sakura demanded.

"I said, don't worry about it!" Sasuke's voice raised a bit, the frustration he felt coming out as anger and irritation. He started walking.

Sakura's heart sank as she felt the distinct déjà vu of seeing the same image of Sasuke's back as he walked away from her the night he left Konoha. Then the sinking feeling was replaced with something else.

Sasuke suddenly felt Sakura's arms wrap around him from behind, not in the gentle way she did when she held him the first time the cursed seal spread over his body, but in a powerful grip that was actually squeezing some of the air out of his lungs.

"Oi," he coughed, "Sakura, you're holding me too tight." He tried unsuccessfully to pull off the arms that were wrapped tightly around his torso.

"No," Sakura said indicating that she wasn't letting go, and Sasuke's eyes softened because he could tell from her choked up voice that she was trying to keep from crying. Her face was pressed into his back, and he could feel her shaking her head with emphasis.

"Sakura…gomen," he stopped resisting. After a moment, Sakura loosened her grip on him. He turned around to look at her, and he saw something in her eyes that he hadn't quite expected. Tears were streaming out of her turquoise eyes, but the look she had on her face was one of anger. She rubbed her eyes, wiping away some of her tears with her arm.

"You know, I'm really tired of you always leaving and going off on your own."

Hearing the hurt and sadness mixed in with the anger in her voice, Sasuke didn't know what to say.

"I mean, jease, is it too much to ask for you just to stay put for a second or something?" Sakura continued, wiping away some more tears.

"Sakura, I'm cursed…you saw today, what I'm turning into…you even said so yourself…every cell in my body…"

"Yeah, well, duh, how long have I known that? I was there when it happened, you know, but aishiteru (I love you), no matter what," she sniffled.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide, then softened. He looked at her angry face and the resolve in her eyes as she said those words of promise. He raised his hand to her face and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks.

"Sasuke no baka (Sasuke, you idiot)," she said, staring crossly at him.

He pulled her to him, winding his arms over her shoulders and putting his right hand on the back of her head.

"Ah," he agreed, as he held her in a gentle embrace. Sasuke pressed the side of his head against hers.

"Gomen," he said again, "aishiteru…mo (I love you…too)."

Hinata watched as a crowd of Narutos came running in her direction. All around the green grass field the other young ninjas were busily battling each other. Sasuke had just summoned a pack of dogs that he sent after Sakura who was summoning her own little army of slugs in response. Ino had Shikamaru locked in a new paralysis technique, and there was a clear smirk on her face as she reveled in her revenge for the many times he had locked her in his shadow technique. Rock Lee was busy trying to get through Neji's defenses while his chakra system was being attacked by the byakuugan and juuken of the Hyuuga family. Kiba and Akamaru were countering the spinning sphere that was Chouji coming at them. Shino was kept busy avoiding the downpour of weapons that Tenten was directing towards him while Tenten's chakra was being drained by the Destruction Bugs attached to her leg. And Hinata, goalie for her own team, was just about to engage in battle with the multitude of Narutos coming toward her with the ball firmly under their control.

Hinata watched with her activated byakuugan as one Naruto passed the ball to another again and again, kicking up grass, dust, and dirt into the fresh late morning air. She could tell that the real Naruto was among them and observed as he was closely inching himself to the front of the group as they approached her with the ball. She could tell from the smirk on his face he had some plan hidden up his sleeve.

Suddenly Naruto jumped forward straight at Hinata. She returned his confident smile with her own as she prepared herself. One of the Naruto clones behind him struck the ball with a hard kick.

"Divine whirl!"

Around Hinata formed the perfect half sphere of blue chakra that characterized this specialized and advanced Hyuuga technique, the perfect defense meant to completely block the ball from reaching the goal.

"Rasengufu!"

Just before the ball bounced off of the divine whirl sphere, Naruto initiated his technique, surrounding his body with a blue tornado of chakra and expertly making it flow in the opposite direction that Hinata's divine whirl was flowing. Their opposing currents of chakra flows canceled each other out, and the ball went flying through the goal. Naruto had used Hinata's own trick against her.

"YATTA (Whoo)!" Naruto screamed.

"Kakkoi (Cool)! Naruto!" Ino cried.

"All right!" Kiba added in.

They all caught their breath and gathered where Naruto and Hinata were.

"Wooot!" Tenten gave a celebratory call, and Neji and Sasuke both smiled silently with looks on their faces that obviously showed they were pleased with the win.

Shikamaru strolled lazily in to join the group last.

"Ah, so that's one win for you guys against our 5 wins, right?" he commented in a maddeningly nonchalant manner.

"This marks a change in the tide! Hear that? CHANGE IN THE TIDE!" Naruto yelled indignantly.

"Oh? Yeah, okay, maybe," Shikamaru said looking up calmly at the sky, un-riled by Naruto's statement. Then he gave Naruto a sideways look and said, "I guess I won't use some of my weaker strategies for awhile then."

Naruto's face fumed red, and he went charging toward Shikamaru only to fall forward flat on his face. Something was snagged onto his right leg, and when he looked down at it, he became more infuriated because he realized it was Shikamaru's shadow hand that had a hold on him.

"Ah, calm down Naruto, I'm just messing with you," Shikamaru said with a sly smile as he released Naruto's leg. "You took me by complete surprise with your technique. What did you call it?"

"Yes, what was that technique?" Neji asked with genuine curiosity.

Naruto stood up and dusted himself off. Then he gave everyone a self-satisfied smile.

"It's called the rasengufu! I learned it from Ero Sennin (Perverted Hermit)!"

"You shouldn't show off your new techniques so carelessly. It's going to give your future opponents an advantage over you," Sasuke said meaningfully with a smug smile.

Naruto gave Sasuke a pointed look and equally smug smile and said, "Well, my future opponents shouldn't assume they've seen the full technique."

For a moment, the two friends smiled at each other, each envisioning their own version of the fight they were going to have. Naruto remembered the first time Sasuke said he wanted to battle him as well. He had been overjoyed to find out that Sasuke acknowledged him as a worthy opponent and no longer saw him as the failure "dead last Uzumaki" from the Academy. Their friends watched on, and all the young ninjas looked forward to seeing the Naruto vs. Sasuke face off.

"BBQ!" Chouji yelled out of no where.

"Again!" Ino exclaimed exasperated.

"BBQ!" Chouji yelled louder.

Some others shrugged or smiled in agreement. It seemed the BBQ after a group game was the routine now.

"Actually, Sasuke and I are going to pass today," Sakura said.

The others gave them a surprised look.

"Oh? Why?" Hinata asked.

"Well, we've sort of been working on this project recently and with the Chuunin exams coming up, we're trying to finishing up as much as we can before they begin," Sakura responded.

"What kind of project?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you see…" Sakura gave Sasuke an unsure glance, not sure how she should approach talking about his clan.

"Sakura's been helping me rebuild the Uchiha clan neighborhood," Sasuke stated simply.

"Really?" Kiba said with genuine interest.

Everyone's eyes grew wide at hearing this. They all knew the tragic story of the Uchiha clan.

Neji looked at Tenten who gave him a smile and a nod. Then he took a few steps toward Sasuke.

"Tenten and I would like to help as well if you don't mind," Neji said.

It was now Sasuke's turn to be wide-eyed. It was quite a gesture for a now-accepted heir of the Hyuuga noble family to offer to help in rebuilding the Uchiha clan.

"Hey, Hinata and me, too!" Naruto said with a smiling Hinata by his side.

"Watashi mo (Me, too)!" cried Rock Lee, pointing a thumb at himself and smiling with a sparkle in his teeth.

"Nice nice-guy-pose Rock! Count me and Ino in, too!" Kiba said resting an elbow on a smiling Ino's shoulder.

"I'll have Mimi bring BBQ to go!" Chouji screamed, obviously not forgetting his priorities.

"I, too, would like to help," Shino said quietly and steadily.

Shikamaru looked from Ino to Chouji, then from Naruto to Sasuke.

"Oh all right. Watashimo (me too). Jease," he rolled his eyes.

Sasuke looked at all of them all with a disbelieving look on his face. Then their gesture of friendship sunk into him. Ever since his clan was wiped out, he had accepted that he was all alone in this world and that the only reason for him to live on was to avenge his family. He looked over at Sakura who was smiling happily next to him, then at the friendly faces of his fellow Konoha ninjas around him. At that moment he realized two things that he had never thought possible after the murder of his family, that he was not alone, and that he had much more to live for than he could have ever imagined possible. Sasuke smiled, a joy welling up in his chest.

"Ah," he accepted everyone's offer to help, and then added, "Arigato mina (Thank you everyone)." Then, he walked ahead with Sakura, leading the way to the old Uchiha neighborhood which was about to be revived with a vengeance.

* * *

"Don't break anything Naruto!" Sakura admonished her clumsy teammate as they arrived at the Uchiha neighborhood. Her loud voice carried over the cheerful conversations of the other young ninjas, and they stopped at her admonishment and looked around at their surroundings.

"Huh?" Naruto said just as he absentmindedly stepped into an empty paint can.

"Eh? A-reh?" he added and lifted his foot. The can stuck stubbornly to his foot, so he started to shake it vigorously. The can finally flew off but unfortunately, Naruto was facing a nearby building and the can hit the wall, scratching and chipping what was originally a pristinely painted beige wall.

"Oops," Naruto said.

Sasuke smiled knowing that Naruto was about to get a major scolding from the not-so-inner Sakura.

"Naaaruuuutooooo…" Sakura said with a rising tone of anger in her voice and her hand held up in an ever-tightening fist. An ominous vein pulsated on her knuckles. Her eyes had turned demonic and steam was literally coming out of her ears.

"Eh hehehehe, gomen, Sakura, it was an accident," Naruto said and jumped behind a smiling Hinata.

"WHAT do you think you're doing?" Sakura said fuming. Everyone else had quieted down to watch the show.

"I'm hiding," Naruto said timidly.

"How dare you shamelessly hide behind your ultra cute girlfriend! Don't think I'm just going to let you off the hook just cuz Hinata is here! Shameless! SHAME—LESS!" Sakura scolded with emphasis and then took off after Naruto. Naruto, too, was off running.

"It was just an accident! Come on Sakura!"

"SHAMELESS!"

The rest of the young ninjas laughed. With a backdrop of Sakura chasing after and scolding an evasive Naruto, Sasuke explained to everyone what needed to be done and in no time, everyone was at work.

An hour or so later, Mimi arrived dragging a large cart behind her. The cart was covered in a large cloth that bulked out from the contents inside. It was quite an amazing sight to see Chouji's petite girlfriend lugging a cart five times her size and probably five times her weight.

"Hi everyone! CHOOOUUUUUJIIII-KUUUN!" Mimi yelled as she caught sight of her koishii (beloved). She dropped the handle to the cart which fell to the floor creating a loud thud and a large dust cloud, then she ran over to Chouji and gave him a big hug. Chouji smiled happily.

"Arigato Mimi for bringing the BBQ!" Chouji thanked her. The others gathered and thanked her as well with grateful smiles and ravenous appetites.

"They're all packaged in bentos (lunch boxes) so all you need to do is grab one, open it, and eat!" Mimi said cheerfully as she skipped over to cart. She pulled the cover off to reveal a number of boxes individually wrapped in cloth stacked one on top of another.

"I put three kinds of BBQ in each box plus my new special recipe sauce with rice and vegetables. I filled each bento to the brim so I hope you're all really hungry!"

She passed out the bentos with a can of iced green tea for each of them. Everyone hungrily opened their packages and began devouring the contents. There was silence for awhile while everyone was busy with their food.

"Oh my gosh, Mimi, that was delicious! Thank you so much!" Sakura said with a satisfied sigh. Her comment was met with a lot of concurring murmurs from everyone else.

"I'm so glad you liked it!" Mimi smiled brightly as she put down her own bento.

"That sauce is really amazing!" Hinata said in her soft voice.

"Yeah," Sasuke added as he dipped a piece of chicken into it and shoveled it into his mouth with some rice.

"So how much do we owe you?" Sasuke added as he swallowed.

"Nothing! Complements of my dad and mom!" Mimi smiled.

Her words were met with a lot of curious stares. BBQ was not one of the cheaper foods in town.

"What? No," Sasuke insisted, "I was planning on paying for it all since everyone's helping out."

"My parents said that back when they first opened their restaurant, it did really well. Unfortunately, that attracted a lot of bad attention, too, because some thieves broke in one night. But some Uchiha clan members were on patrol that night and they took out the thieves in a second. Nothing was damaged or stolen, so our family business has stayed alive till today. When my parents heard you were rebuilding the Uchiha neighborhood, they said it was the least they could do for the memories of those who helped save our business and our only source of livelihood."

Sasuke was left speechless as the news of times past sunk in. He finally managed to say thanks.

"Arigato, Mimi, and tell your parents thanks, too."

"OOOYYYY!" A yell broke the serious moment and the growing after-meal stupor that was befalling all of them.

Someone suddenly flew over the tops of the buildings that surrounded them. Three someones actually. The three someones landed on the ground near the cart of food. The young ninjas sat up, their keenly trained senses were all on alert.

Two girls and one boy had appeared in front of them flying in out of nowhere it seemed. Their movements showed the Konoha ninjas that they were not ordinary people, that they were ninjas, and the metallic forehead protectors they sported showed that they were actually Konoha ninjas.

Standing at the forefront of the three newcomers was a young girl with her yellow hair tied up in a high pony tail that spiked out up into the blue sky above them. She had gray eyes, wore a light blue short-skirted dress that draped over black pants. Her forehead protector was tied around her waist over the light-blue fabric with the metal plate facing the front.

The other girl stood to the left behind the first had long gray hair that flowed over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes were purple, and her whole body was covered in a large, black trench coat. She wore her forehead protector on her left arm over the black fabric of her coat, and she stood with her hands in the pockets. The collar of her black coat was folded up and framed her pale face. Under the coat she wore a long flowing purple dress that matched her eyes and seemed to hang and rustle just above the ground causing her to look like she was floating instead of standing.

The boy in the team had dark brown hair that was tied up in a high pony tail and streamed down behind him like a fox's tail. His eyes were a shade of deep yellow, and hee had on loosely fitting outfit of black T-shirt and pants, and white bandages wrapped around his arms and ankles. On his shoulder was perched a large hawk with brown feathers that perfectly matched his hair.

"Linda-san!" Rock Lee called out. He stood up and threw a big smile at the girl with the spiky yellow hair and gray eyes. Everyone noticed his cheeks flush a bit red and smiled in realization. Lee-san was quite the open book when it came to his romantic feelings.

"Oy! Lee-san!"

"Everyone, this is Linda and her teammates Hana and Keisuke," Rock introduced his friends.

"Nice to meet you all!" Linda said cheerfully, "We've been looking everywhere for you and your group! Lucky for us you're all in the same place. Special message from the Hokage and all of your sensei's."

At the mention of the Hokage, all of their ears perked up.

"From Hokage-sama?" Rock asked.

"What does Tsunade-obaachan (granny Tsunade) want?" Naruto asked loudly.

Linda turned her attention to the ninja in orange and black with spiky yellow hair and whiskered cheeks.

"You must be Naruto," she said with a knowing smile.

"Oh, you've heard of me?" Naruto said, putting on a confident air of importance.

"Yes, Hokage-sama said 'Be sure to explain the message twice to Naruto. He's really dense. You can't miss him. He's got spiky hair the same color as yours and he's loud, obnoxious, and rude.'"

A few giggles and chuckles escaped from the mouths of his friends. Even Hinata smiled, knowing full well how much Tsunade favored Naruto and enjoyed toying with his ego.

Naruto clenched his fists and fumed to himself, "Tsunade-obaachan…"

Linda turned and gave Rock a wink. She had left out the last thing that Hokage-sama had said about Naruto, "He's one of the best ninjas we've got." But Linda figured Hokage-sama wouldn't mind the interruption of a fuming Naruto to break up her day of dreary routine work.

"What is the message from the Hokage?" Neji interjected the light jocular conversation with a serious tone.

"Ah, yeah, well, I'm sure you all know that the Chuunin exams are coming up next week. You're all to report to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning at sunrise. All of your sensei's will be there, too, with your nomination papers, and Hokage-sama will have assignments for you all. Visiting ninjas will start arriving throughout the day tomorrow."

"All right!" Naruto yelled out. Everyone else was in smiles and began excited conversations as they cleaned up their food. The long anticipated Chuunin Exams had finally arrived.

"Ossu! In preparation for this event, I challenge you to a paint off! Whoever finishes their house first and does a better job wins! Looser has jump once up into ever tree in Konoha!" Rock Lee's vivacious voice rang throughout the neighborhood.

"Ossu! I accept your challenge!" Linda exclaimed pointing an acknowledging finger at Rock.

The next thing everyone knew, the two had run off with buckets of paint and brushes to the two nearest unfinished houses.

"Here they go again," Hana said, her purple locks flowing mysteriously around her face. Both Keisuke and his hawk gave their darkly clad companion, Hana, a knowing look.

_

* * *

Note: Okay, so here's two out of the four pairing shorts I have been planning to do. I'll work out the other two and attach them to the end of the next chapter. Hope some of you find it fun to read and Happy Valentines to everyone! Please look forward to the next chapter!_**

* * *

Valentine's Special: NejiTenten, KibaIno****

* * *

When Neji asked Tenten**

Time Frame: about a week before SasuSaku first kiss.

Tenten sipped from the bottle of green tea that she had brought with her out to the forest hill top. She looked out onto the view digging her free hand into the thick, cool mat of green grass she sat on. She smiled—there was no grass as green and as lush as Konoha's grass. Neji sat next to her, and she examined his face from the side. He looked out at the landscape and seemed to be contemplating some important problem in his mind. They sat in silence under the blue sky filled with cotton puff clouds that floated lazily under the late afternoon sun.

Neji had invited her out for a climb, and the exercise was worth the effort. She leaned back on her hands, threw her head up, and took a deep breath of the fresh air around her. A relaxed smile spread across her features as she enjoyed the peace and beauty. The bushels of leaves on the trees below them swayed pleasantly in the light breeze.

Neji suddenly stood up, startling and breaking Tenten's light mood. She looked up at his back with a puzzled look on her face as she sat up in response. He stood quietly, his hands in fists, and made no move to explain himself. She had been around him long enough to know Neji marched to his own regular, purposeful rhythm. Even when they were tiny ninjas-in-the-making at the academy, she had always noticed the serious ambiance that always floated about him, as if he lived and breathed in a perpetual cloud of solemnity.

Lately, though, Neji seemed to have lightened up. Maybe it was the recognition of the Hyuuga family that had changed his attitude. However, Tenten had noticed a change in him since the last Chuunin exam. Tenten got up and stood next to him.

Without warning, Neji turned and looked her straight in the eye. For a moment, she stood there looking back at him expectantly, wondering what he had on his mind. After a long, silent while, Tenten finally broke the quiet.

"Nani (what)?"

Neji blinked and then cleared his throat loudly. Tenten's eyebrow raised adding to the perplexed look on her face. _What's up with him today?_ she though quietly to herself.

He stood straight up with his arms stiff at his side as if he was about to salute and go off into battle. His long hair flowed untied behind him, a few strands strayed over the forehead protector and played against the sides of his face. His thick tan sweater top and navy blue, knee-length shorts had a few smudges here and there from their climb up. Tenten saw herself reflected is his large, pupil-less eyes as he stared down into her brown ones.

"Tenten…"

He faltered, and then started again.

"Tenten…I…you…um…would you…"

He took a deep breath. Tenten gave him a deep, concentrated and quizzical look, as if she were trying to put a puzzle together where all the pieces didn't fit. Her brown bangs hung over her own forehead protector, her dark locks tied up in their usual buns atop her head off of her pink, red-trimmed vest.

"Tenten, I would like to ask you to be my girlfriend."

The words came out like a military request. Tenten looked at him wide-eyed for a moment as she processed what had just happened. As it sunk into her, she felt her cheeks flush red, and she realized his face was red as well. All of a sudden, she was intently aware of the late day breeze that played with her hair and skin. She watched as it caused the hair that framed his face to whip gently about his cheeks. He looked at her intently; it was his turn to wear the expectant look.

The corners of her mouth curved up into a smile as she nodded and said, "Hai (yes)."

Neji let out a breath he had been holding in relief and couldn't help himself as he smiled. Tenten began to slide her arms around him to give him a hug. Neji hadn't expected this, and unlike his usual dealings where he calculates 10 steps ahead of his opponents, he hadn't thought about what he would do after his confession. He tensed up.

Tenten tried her best to hug a tensed up Neji, but even after repeated efforts, he remained stubbornly un-relaxed. Finally, she stood back away from him, looked up into his face, her brown eyes sparkling full of laughter, and she tiptoed up and kissed him on the lips. Neji turned an even deeper shade of magenta and tensed up even more than before. Tenten, still blushing herself, started giggling and chuckling out loud. Neji managed an embarrassed smile. This would take a little getting used to.

**

* * *

When Kiba kissed Ino**

Time Frame: a few weeks after the first shinobi soccer game.

Ino looked over at Kiba who walked next to her. Akamaru was running ahead of them chasing butterflies and playing on the road. She fumed.

"Why are you walking me home _again_?"

"Because you need a man to protect you from bad guys," Kiba responded with no hesitation and an air of confidence that further infuriated her.

"Oh PUH-LEASE. I'm a NINJA, okay? You probably need _me_ to protect _you_."

Kiba simply gave her cool smile.

_Argh! His cool response is pissing me off!_ Ino fumed inwardly. She tried again to break his calm.

"You _really_ stink, you know that?"

"All the better to ward off bad guys with the scent of a real man," he shot back expertly.

Ino's face was turning red with fury. Kiba had to stifle a laugh. It was so easy to get a rise out of her.

Ino thought frantically for a smart reply or another insulting comment to make when they heard Akamaru's yelp echo towards them from down the road.

"Akamaru!" Kiba's demeanor suddenly changed into one of intense worry as he sprinted forward. Ino, her thoughts distracted away from thinking of a good come back, ran after him.

They found Akamaru lying on his side and whimpering on the side of the road. Kiba tenderly started to examine him.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he said, his voice full of concern.

"Arrrww, arrww, raaaahf," Akamaru whined back.

Kiba turned up one of his hind paws. There was a bloody gash on it and the tip of a shard of glass protruded out of the soft paw flesh.

"Oh my gosh, here," Ino said as she pulled out bottle of ointment from her pouch and ripped off some of the bandage cloth that was bound around her waist.

"This is going to sting a little, Akamaru," she warned. With one piece of bandage material, she pulled out the shard from a whimpering Akamaru's paw. With another piece, she wiped away the blood that flowed freely from the wound. Then she dabbed a portion of the longest piece in the ointment and wrapped it around the paw. All the while, Kiba was looking upon her with a gentle smile. In his mind, he remembered a time when they were all still just children, and he had accidentally witnessed the scene of a crying Sakura comforted by a confident yet kind Ino. He had also noticed here and there at the academy the tough-girl Ino watching over the then timid and sensitive Sakura. Those seemingly inconsequential images that had seeped into his consciousness over the years brought an admiring smile to his face.

"There, it should be okay. The cut wasn't too deep. That ointment should make it hurt less," Ino said examining her handy work with a satisfied look on her face.

"You know, you and I are a lot alike. We're more annoying on the outside than the inside."

The sound of his voice pierced through her attentiveness to Akamaru and the content of his words startled her.

"Hmph, speak for yourself," she stood up and put her hands haughtily on her hips as Kiba swept Akamaru up in his arms. He stood up next to her.

"So do you always call people who help Akamaru annoying? Or do you thank them properly like any well-brought up and polite ninja would?" Ino scolded.

Kiba gave Akamaru's head an affectionate rube with his free hand, and then, to Ino's complete surprise, he leaned into her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Arigato, Ino-chan," Kiba said with a wink and an impish smile, then turned and started walking down the road with a bundle of Akamaru in his arms. He had to turn his blushing face away from her. He could barely believe his own brash act just now.

Behind him, Ino's face was also flushing with red. Her hand went up unconsciously to the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her. It tingled at the memory of the rough and warm texture of his lips. She willed the blood out of her cheeks to little success.

"W…Wait a minute! When did I give you permission to call me Ino-chan?" she said weakly as she walked after him. She said nothing about the kiss, too embarrassed to even bring it up.

"Too bad. I…I just feel like calling you Ino-chan so you're just going to have to get used it." For once, Ino heard his voice falter a bit as he spoke. He was also walking at an unnaturally quickened pace. She looked up at his back as he walked in front of her as if purposefully trying to avoid looking at her face and realized he was feeling embarrassed as well. She half-smiled as she watched his feet taking quick steps with purpose. She suddenly felt protective of him.

Skipping a bit to catch up and keep up with him, she finally matched his pace and walked alongside of him.

"Jease, you're so imposing," she said stretching her arms out behind her head and looking up at the waning sunset light.

"G…gomen," Kiba said, faltering again.

Ino stole a look at him from the corner of her eye. _What happened to all the bravado from before?_ she thought with a silent chuckle. She looked back up to the sky. Somehow, all the fuming irritation that she felt towards him just half an hour earlier had become something different, something gentler.

When they finally reached her house, she turned to him and said in her usual loud, irritated tone, "Well, thanks for not protecting me all the way home."

Kiba laughed at her tone and words. Her reverting back to their usual way of interacting put him at ease.

"Sure, anytime. Thanks for treating Akamaru's cut," he said. Akamaru barked in thanks as well.

Ino smiled, stepped closer, and pet Akamaru's head with a friendly pat and a rub behind the ears. Akamaru smiled and raised his head up to her hand. Suddenly, she felt Kiba's rough and calloused fingers up against her cheek as he took her face in his free hand. She looked up, startled to find that Kiba's face was inches away from her own.

"Is it all right if I kiss you?" he asked smoothly, his dark, feral eyes mesmerizing her light blue ones. She said nothing, too shocked and thrown off by the day's sudden turn of events that she had no idea how to respond. Seeing that she made no motion to pull away and stared up at him wide eyed and unsure, Kiba leaned in towards her slowly and kissed her lips tenderly. Akamaru buried his face into Kiba's armpit.

Ino felt a warm feeling welling up inside her as she felt his lips against hers in their first kiss. He pulled away and his free hand left her cheek and stretched out behind his head. He laughed nervously.

"I know I'm not as good looking as Sasuke, but I think you can get used to my smell," he said half joking half serious. The vulnerability she saw in his blushing, awkward expression brought back that protective feeling she had experienced earlier. She looked back into his feral eyes, and realized she had never found any man as attractive as she found him at that moment. With a playfully wry smile, she laughed and said,

"I'll never get used to it," and with that, she kissed him back.


	17. Chapter 17

_Note: Thanks for all your reviews and feedback! Sorry to the people who had to read the un-divided version of Ch. 16. I accidentally loaded the un-divided version and then reloaded the divided version 2 minutes later. Alas, a few of you had all ready starting reading by then. Gomen! _

_Official theme songs for these Naruto FanFics of mine: Aside from all the regular totally awesome Naruto soundtrack music (of which I have all the import cds like the narutard I am), check out the songs on myspace dot com backslash randomninjasmusic_

_Ambient assignments for each song:_

_1. Random Journey - a song about picking yourself back up again when you fail and never giving up, for positive thinking and positive action events._

_2. Shinobi - the most ninja-esque rock song in existence, for missions and fight scenes._

_3. Winter Winds - love song, for all the fluff found in my fanfics :P_

_4. Light and Shadow - fight between opposing forces, for action scenes, especially awesome fight scenes._

**

* * *

All The Difference 17 **

The twelve genin troop waited outside in the hallway of the Hokage's office. Ino and Kiba were sitting on the floor with a hyper Akamaru. Naruto leaned against the wall with Sasuke and Sakura to his right and Hinata to his left. He had his hands and arms stretched out behind his bright yellow hair. Shikamaru leaned against the hallway wall across from them in the same pose as Naruto, and Chouji was next to him tossing chips into his mouth as usual. Neji and Tenten stood by the entrance with Tenten twirling a kunai around her fingers, and Rock Lee was sitting with his legs sprawled across the floor as he stretched. The hallway was dimly lit, and through a window at the far end of the hallway the early morning light had barely started to grow.

"Yo!" Linda said brightly with a sparkling smile as she and her teammates, Hana and Keisuke joined the group. Linda took her place next to Rock Lee. The two had drawn a tie at their competition yesterday and deemed it fair that both of them jump up and down every tree in Konoha. The rest of the genin wondered how they're able to stand today.

"Linda-san, are you and your team going to be in the Chuunin exam, too?" Hinata asked politely in her quiet voice.

"Maybe," Linda replied with a shrug.

"We were called here by Hokage-sama, but our sensei hasn't informed us of whether or not we will be in the exams," Keisuke said, his brown hawk perched next to his brown hair. Hana stood quietly by hidden behind her gray, free-flowing hair.

"Ah, so desu ne (I see)," Hinata said with a friendly smile.

"Who's your sensei by the way?" Naruto asked.

"Mitarashi Anko," Hana answered from behind her silver locks.

"Oh? She was our second examiner in our first Chunnin exam," Sakura explained.

"Really? How about that," Linda replied and threw Sasuke a glance before looking back at Sakura. Sakura noticed the glance and made a mental note to ask Linda about it later in private at some time. For the time being, they exchanged friendly smiles and went back to quietly waiting with everyone else. They didn't wait long.

"Yo!" Mitarashi Anko opened the door and stuck her spiky dark hair out into the hallway. All the young genin stood at attention.

"Anko sensei! Mornin!" Linda said loudly.

"Come on in everyone!" Anko said cheerfully stuffing a dango in her mouth and chewing happily on the sweet delicacy drenched in dark syrupy sauce.

All fifteen of them filed into the room. They came upon the scene of Konoha Jounins lined up across the room all facing the Hokage's desk. Without direction, they automatically went to join their respective sensei with their teammates.

"Good morning, Genins," Tsunade began, "First of all, I'm happy to inform you that all of your sensei's have nominated you to participate in the Chuunin exams."

Smiles spread across the faces of all the youths in the room as their sensei's handed out their nomination papers.

"KAKASHI SENSEI! ARIGATO! You're the BESTEST!" Naruto yelled out and hugged his sensei.

"Oh?" Kakashi said with only one droopy eye showing. He looked down at the yellow and orange bundle that had just attached itself to his side. Naruto was getting tall, but Kakashi was still taller. "Then maybe next time when I try to calm you down you won't scissor kick my head into the ground?"

"Ah, hahahaha," Naruto laughed nervously putting one hand behind his head as he let go of his sensei. "Gomen, Kakashi sensei, I…uh…got carried away."

Despite the laughter that played across Kakashi's features as he joked with Naruto, the rest of the Genin in the room gave Naruto and Kakashi some wide-eyed stares. Naruto scissor kicked Kakashi's head to the ground? Kakashi the legendary copy ninja? When did this happen?

Along with all the adults that were in the room, Hinata was able to guess that it was probably when Naruto went Kyubi-berserk that time she had staged her own kidnap. Kakashi had been the leader of the Anbu team for that mission after all. Hinata was the only one of the Genins who knew that Naruto was a jinchuriki, a container for one of the powerful tailed demons.

"The first exam will be held at the forest of death in three days. Be there at sunrise."

"Hokage-sama," Shikamaru's lazy yet rebellious voice reached her ears, "I'm all ready a Chuunin, why do I have to take the Chuunin exams _again_?"

"Well, the first exam requires a three person team. You only need to participate for that part of the exams. However…you could opt to not participate at all but your two teammates would be unable to compete."

Shikamaru suddenly felt the air around him weigh down on him. He looked at Ino's angry blue eyes that dared him to not participate. Her wrath was all ready bubbling to the surface and directed at him. Then he turned to Chouji, who, to his surprise had the same look on his face. Their stares said without words, "Don't you dare get lazy and back out of this one." Obviously they were determined to give their all in this year's Chuunin exams.

"Oh jease, this is so much trouble," Shikamaru said with a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes.

Ino looked as if she were about the smack him upside the head but held her cool for the moment. There would be plenty of opportunities to smack Shikamaru for being lazy throughout the first exam.

"Further," Tsunade continued on, "you will all have assigned posts and patrolling throughout the next three days as preparations are made. As you might have deducted from the last Chuunin exam, the need to open up our borders for this exam makes us vulnerable to outside attack and infiltration. I don't need to remind you that Konoha currently has many dangerous enemies."

Every mind in the room played through what images they had of Konoha's enemies. The Jounin in the room of course had a longer list to go through. They also remembered the last Chuunin exam, Orochimaru's attack, the death of the 3rd, and the Sand Siblings.

"Our allies from the Sunagakura no Sato (Hidden Sand Village) will be arriving in two hours at the front gates. The Kazekage has offered to assist with security measures throughout the duration of the exams. Mr. Chuunin over there will be greeting them with his team," Tsunade nodded her head in Shikamaru's direction.

"What? Oh great, more things to do. And I thought I was gonna get to relax during these exams," Shikamaru muttered irritably.

Tsunade ignored his mutterings and proceeded to assign each team to patrol a sector of Konoha. Soon they were off, flying across the roofs of Konoha in different directions, their spiraling paths shooting out like a spinning shuriken with the Hokage's office as the eye of the storm. Tsunade couldn't help smiling with pride as she looked out at her panoramic view of the village and watched the young ninjas soaring through the early morning air with sureness in their footing, determination in their eyes, and a will of fire burning in their souls. The Chuunin exams would be exciting indeed.

* * *

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke walked down the main road to the front gates of Konoha with Kakashi sensei. Kakashi walked behind them, watched their young backs as they walked forward. Naruto's orange and black covered back was to his left, and Sakura's red and pink covered back was to his right. In front of him and in between the other two walked Sasuke. Kakashi felt nostalgic, remembering the first mission they had together and how the three smaller versions of the young ninjas that walked in front of him had been wide eyed and generally naïve of the world outside of Konoha. Back then the tops of their heads barely reached his chest. Now, they were well past the height of his shoulders. They had grown so quickly. He wondered if Yondaime had looked upon him and his teammates like this, a proud teacher watching the bursting strength of his young students. 

His eyes fell upon Sasuke longer than the others. Under his mask, Kakashi smiled, pleased to see Sasuke walk proudly with his friends, the will to protect them stronger than any other ambition. Kakashi's smile was both joyful and sad at the same time; he was happy to see that Sasuke had chosen this path before it was too late and concurrently he felt the same regret he always felt for having not done the same in his youthful years.

In front of Team 7 walked Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino with their sensei Asuma. Team Asuma had been assigned to escort the Hidden Sand Village ninjas and Team 7 had been assigned to patrol the front gate sector, so they were all heading to the same destination.

They walked in silence, enjoying the peaceful morning sounds of birdsong and humming bees. Their timing was perfect. Just as they opened the front gates, they could see off in the distance down the road the moving entourage from the Sand Village. There were about 50 ninjas in all in the troop. They traveled on foot and were an intimidating sight indeed. It seemed that the Sand Ninjas had been successful in building their forces since the last Chuunin exam, and they were bringing a formidable portion of these forces to Konoha to fulfill the Kazekage's promise to help bolster Konoha's defenses for the Chuunin exams.

Among the Sand Nins, Konoha's young ninjas spotted three that they had grown to know well from the last Chuunin exam and subsequent missions—the Sand Siblings, the children of the previous Kazekage that had been murdered by Orochimaru. Temari still had her blonde hair bound up in two spiky masses atop her head. Instead of her previous, light colored clothing, she wore a large black, kimono-like robe with short sleeves. Slung across her back was the same signature gigantic fan that she utilized for many of her attacks. Kankuro looked exactly the same as before with his red painted face and black full body clothing except that he was taller and the cocooned package he carried on his back looked larger as well. In between them stood their shortest and youngest brother. Gaara was taller but he still appeared slight next to his two older and healthier looking siblings. His eyes were still ringed with black, the sign that he still held the demon within him that threatened to consume his soul when he slept. His red hair waved flame-like in the gentle breeze and the red symbol that meant "love" still adorned his pale forehead.

Immediately, Gaara's eyes met Naruto's. Neither smiled, and they stared at each other, each wearing an expressionless gaze as if they were looking thoughtfully into a mirror reflection of themselves. For a moment, Naruto felt everyone around him fade and he was aware only of his own presence and the presence of Gaara, as if they stood in a vast desert alone, facing each other in the midst of an infinitely empty space. Gaara's usual clothing had been replaced with a large black, flowing coat over which hung his large gourd that larger than before. The robes he wore made Naruto feel even more distinctly the far-reaching loneliness that emanated from Gaara's being, a state of torturous isolation that Naruto knew all too well.

Shikamaru, having been officially assigned to greet the Kazekage and escort him and his party to the Hokage's office, stepped forward. He walked up to a huge man who stood to the right of the Sand Siblings.

"On behalf of Konoha Village and the Hokage, welcome to our village," he said with a friendly smile and an extended hand.

The large man stared down at Shikamaru's extended hand then up and his smiling face. Then he looked at the smiling Konoha ninjas behind him. The pause lasted for a while, and finally Shikamaru's expression transitioned from a friendly look to one of puzzlement.

"Um, is there something wrong?" he said as he continued to hold his hand out for the man to shake.

"Um," the large man began, clearing his throat, "shouldn't you be extending the official welcome to our Kazekage?"

"Oh, you're not the Kazekage?" Shikamaru reached his extended hand behind his head and smiled with embarrassment.

The large Sand Nin shook his head slowly and pointed a cautious finger at Gaara. The rest of his comrades eyes grew slightly wide in worry. They had no idea how the demon child who was now their leader would react to the mistaken identity. It was common for everyone from the Sand Village walked on shells around Gaara, even his own older brother and sister.

Shikamaru looked over at Gaara, the shortest and smallest ninja of the entire entourage, and then back at the Sand Nin that was about three times Gaara's size.

"My bad," he said with a laugh and strolled over to Gaara.

"Oy, so you're the Kazekage now? That's pretty crazy; we were like in the same Chuunin exams," he said and stuck his hand out to Gaara.

Again the Sand Ninjas held their breath. No one in their own village dared to be so informal and frank with Gaara of the Dessert, even before he became Kazekage. They had no idea how he would react, and in the past, they had learned to fear his reactions.

"Ah," Gaara replied simply, stared at Shikamaru's extended hand for a moment, then reached his own out. Shikamaru grasped Gaara's forearm near the elbow and Gaara did the same in return. It was a less formal and more brotherly gesture. The Sand Nins stifled a gasp. No one in their village dared to touch Gaara. Even when he was a mere infant, no one wanted to hold him, and here this young Konoha Ninja was grasping his arm in friendship without even flinching. They wondered if they even knew who Gaara was.

"Congratulations, and like I said earlier, on behalf of Konoha Village and the Hokage, welcome _back _to our village," Shikamaru said still smiling and still grasping Gaara's arm. As soon as he let it go, he heard Ino's voice behind him.

"Nice going Mr. Chuunin. Thank goodness you're not Hokage or we'd be at war with every country out there with your diplomatic skills," his blue-eyed, blond-haired teammate said with disdain.

Kakashi sensei and Asuma grinned, Sakura and Sasuke tried to stifle their laughter, and Chouji and Naruto were laughing at full volume.

"You've got to be the dumbest Chuunin in Konoha!" Naruto said, putting aside the fact that he, too, had mistakenly thought the other man was the Kazekage.

Shikamaru turned an irritated face back at them and was about to toss a retort at Naruto when he heard laughter in front of him as well.

"So I see you haven't changed much, Mr. Cry Baby," Temari said.

Shikamaru turned his attention back to the Sand Siblings and found himself looking into the green eyes of the girl who saved his life from one of Orochimaru's henchmen.

"Jease, everyone's got nicknames for me that I don't like," Shikamaru said rolling his eyes.

Kankuro was chuckling, too, and stretched his arm out to Shikamaru who held it the way he held Gaara's. Then Temari and him did the same. She gave him a wink.

Shikamaru was about to gesture for the Sand troupe to follow him and say that the Hokage was waiting for them when he felt himself pushed aside by a blur of yellow and orange. Naruto had just figured out something.

"Wait a minute, YOU'RE the KAZEKAGE?" Naruto said sticking his face into Gaara's the way he used to stick his face into Sasuke's face when they were kids at the academy. Gaara's eyes grew wide for a moment, startled by Naruto's aggressiveness.

"Ah," he finally replied.

Naruto held his fists up in front of him.

"ARHHH! I'm not even a Chuunin yet! This is really pissing me off!" Naruto said, his face distorted into a look of pure frustration.

Shikamaru smiled. It took Naruto that long to process that Gaara was all ready Kazekage while he was no where close to becoming Hokage.

Then Naruto gave Gaara a pointed stare.

"This means I don't get to fight you in the Chuunin exams?"

"Ah."

Naruto thought about this for a bit, then extended his arm out to Gaara.

"Fine, then when I become Hokage, let's have a Kage-level match. Deal?"

Gaara looked down at Naruto's arm, seemed to ponder the idea for a moment, then took Naruto's arm.

"Ah," Gaara said with the same monotone, emotionless response, but Naruto could see that the slight smile on his pale lips betrayed something else.

The Sand Ninjas were wide-eyed. They couldn't believe someone dared to willingly challenge Gaara, the demon child of the Sand Village, to a match. Even when Gaara was a child, no one wanted to play ball with him let alone fight him in battle. Did this boy know what Gaara was?

"Just don't go turning into a giant raccoon again or anything…" Naruto continued, and the Sand Ninjas exchanged wide-eyed looks, "…or I'll have to bust out some pre-Hokage. kage level tech—ARRRR OW! OW! HEY! LET GO OF MY HAIR!"

"You'll all have to excuse him, he's _severely_ retarded," Sakura said with a courteous smile as she pulled Naruto away from Gaara by his yellow spiky hair, "The Hokage-sama is expecting you. We look forward to working with you throughout the Chuunin exams."

Sakura bowed politely and pushed Naruto down to bow with her.

"HEY! OWW!"

The Sand Village group followed Shikamaru and his team as they led the way through the gate. The visiting ninjas were still trying to process the whole situation. They weren't so much bewildered by the friendly and quirky Konoha ninjas—they had come to expect that from ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village from years of interacting with them. What befuddled them was the way the Konoha ninjas were interacting with the jinchuriki (tailed demon container) of their village and even more perplexed by the way Gaara was responding. It was as if they were all…friends? Temari and Kankuro as well, usually solemn in manner and frighteningly efficient ninjas in the battlefield, were smiling and laughing with and at the Konoha ninjas as if they had all been childhood comrades. They stole looks at their Kazekage and his siblings as they made their way to the Hokage's office.

Originally, everyone had thought that the Kazekage's decision to provide military support for Konoha during the Chuunin exams was a strategic one to strengthen diplomatic ties with the strongest ninja village in the world, especially when they had attempted to overthrow the village at the last exams under the manipulation of Orochimaru who had killed their Kazekage and disguised himself as their leader. Now, seeing the interaction between the Sand Siblings and the Konoha youths made them wonder if there was more behind the decision to bring military support than they had originally thought.

As they all made their way down the road, they heard the sound of laughing children filling the air.

"OH! It's Shikamaru! OOOYYYY! SHIKAMARU!"

Out of the forest trees that grew on either side of the main road into Konoha bounded a young boy with a white cap over his head that allowed a puff of his brown hair to stick out. He ran up to Shikamaru and jumped onto his shoulders.

"Umph, hey, Konohamaru-chan, you're not so small anymore so stop jumping on my back!" Shikamaru tried to shake off the young boy.

"Piggy ride!" Konohamaru demanded, refusing to be thrown off.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to call me Shikamaru _sensei_?"

"Nope! Piggy ride!"

"I'm going to tell Naruto you get piggy rides from me," Shikamaru threatened.

Konohamaru gasped and jumped off.

"You wouldn't dare tell Leader!"

"Yes I would."

"No!"

"Yes."

While Konohamaru and Shikamaru continued on the conversation of no's and yes's, Moegi's voice rang through the air.

"Temari-onesan!"

She ran up to Temari and threw herself at the blonde-haired Sand ninja. Temari had her hands spread out wide in response to her call. The little red-cheeked brown-haired girl jumped into her arms.

"Ooof, you've gotten bigger since the last time I was here."

"I can throw three kunai at a time now!"

"Really? Wow!"

Kankuro felt a tug on his shirt.

"Hi Kankuro-san," a sniffle-nosed Udon looked up at painted face of the black-clad ninja.

"Udon, hi."

"Did you bring your puppet again?"

"Sure, it's right here," Kankuro kneeled down and began to unwrap the cocoon of bandages he carried around with him.

Gaara felt a tug on his gourd.

"Wow!"

"Is this real?"

"Where'd you find it?"

"It's so cool!"

Gaara of the Desert found himself surrounded by half a dozen young Konoha academy students who were poking at the large gourd he had slung around his back.

"No, I made it," he replied monotone.

"You made it?"

"No way!"

"Yes, out of sand," Gaara continued.

"What!"

"No way!"

"Let me see!"

To the further astonishment of the Sand Ninja military accompaniment, their Kazekage got down on one knee and put his gourd down on the ground in front of him in the middle of a crowd of young children who poked and prodded at it like it was a new playground toy.

One girl asked, "Is it _really_ made out of sand?"

"Try striking it," Gaara encouraged.

"Can I do it with my kunai?" the child asked.

"Ah," Gaara nodded.

The girl pulled out a kunai from her utility pack and held it as high above her head as possible with both of her hands. Then she sent the kunai tip shooting toward the gourd. The kunai embedded into the gourd and its hard surface cracked. She pulled out the kunai and sand poured out of the hole she made. Then, the sand poured backwards up into the gourd and the crack sealed itself up. This was met by many oos and aahhs from the audience of children. They quickly placed their fingers at the spot where the hole had been to confirm that it really did become solid again.

"Okay you guys, time to get back to class," Iruka's voice rose above the sounds of the excited children.

"AWWWWWWWW, but Iruka-sensei…" they all said in unison.

"Nope, let's go, back to your assignments. I don't see any of you with any of the herbs I told you to gather," Iruka scolded.

The pack of children marched away with their heads hanging in an overly emphasized and melodramatic way.

"Sorry about that," Iruka said, "They were supposed to be busy with their assignment."

Shikamaru and his team smiled and waved to their childhood teacher as he walked away to join the crowd of moping children.

They continued on their way. The Sand ninjas couldn't get out of their mind the image of the three offspring of their previous Kazekage, three of the deadliest ninjas of their village, affectionately playing with young children. They never did so back at their home village. Then again, all the children at the SandVillage were taught to fear them. The Konoha children, on the other hand, knew no such fear, not even of Gaara of the Desert and his deadly gourd filled with murderous sand feared by ninjas far and wide. To them, it seemed to be just an amusing plaything. The Sand nins dared to toy with the idea that they might have even seen a faint smile on the face of their Kazekage as he interacted with the curious children. Gaara and his siblings seemed more at home in Konoha than they did in their own village.

* * *

At the center of Konoha, Hinata and her team were walking through a crowded marketplace. The shops were all set up and the streets were filled with people. Shopkeepers were anticipating the increased business that usually comes with the Chuunin exams not just from excited Konoha civilians but also from tourists who sometimes come just to watch the final exams. The sounds of goods being bought and sold and the milling hum of the busy location were filled with excitement and anticipation. Here and there were lively conversations about the upcoming matches. It had been so long since the last Chuunin exam. 

Akamaru suddenly stopped short and started sniffing the air.

"Arf! Arrr arf!"

Kiba looked down at Akamaru.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Arrf!" Akamaru affirmed.

"Hinata, check the surroundings for anything unusual," Kiba said to his blue-haired teammate behind him.

"Hai. _Byakuugan!_" The veins and nerves around Hinata's eyes bulged as she activated her bloodline limited technique. She scanned the surroundings as they kept walking. Then she saw it, something that made her gasp.

"What is it?" Kurenai asked.

"That way," Hinata pointed and the team of four went off in that direction.

"I can sense it now," Shino said.

They rounded a corner and found themselves face to face with three ninjas from the Kumogakure no Sato (Hidden Cloud Village). The three ninjas were dressed very simply in all dark gray like that of storm clouds, and their mouths were covered as well. Even their hands were gloved completely. On their foreheads they wore their metal protectors that bore the symbol of their village.

Hinata stepped forward to the one in the middle, the one who had made her gasp.

"Hello, welcome to Konoha village. We apologize for the inconvenience but we need to check your permit papers," she said in her kind and polite voice.

The three ninjas pulled out papers from within the folds of their dark clothing and held them up for the Konoha ninjas to clearly see. With their free hands, they pulled away the masks that covered their faces. Hinata examined the papers and matched their faces to the ones that appeared on the permits.

"Thank you, we look forward to seeing you in the exams," Hinata said with a polite bow. The Cloud ninjas put their masks back on and went along their way.

After they were out of earshot, Kiba turned to Hinata.

"Hey, what's up with that weird guy in the middle? He smelled funny."

"Was he the one that startled you earlier?" Shino added.

Hinata nodded.

"I couldn't see his chakra system."

"What? Is he dead or something?" Kiba said turning to look at the retreating figures of the three ninjas they had just inspected.

"No, I couldn't see his chakra system because his entire body is filled with chakra. It was like he didn't have a chakra system because he _is_ chakra," Hinata said with disbelieving eyes, "I've never seen anything like it!"

The four of them continued on their way, but inside they each marveled at and wondered what that strange ninja might be.

"What was his name?" Kurenai asked Hinata.

"Chingis Lei."

* * *

Tenten, Neji, Rock, and Gai sensei were patrolling in a residential neighborhood when Neji suddenly stopped and put a hand up to halt his companions. Around a far corner down the street turned three ninjas. The one on the left wore a large cape that covered her entire body like a tent. Her eyes were hazel, and her hair was shoulder length and a deep blue color much like Hyuugan Hinata's hair. The one on the right wore a short sleeve shirt and long pants with black fishnets that reached up to her wrists and chin. She had green eyes and red hair that was cut short and looked ruffled and messy. The nin in the middle had jet-black, waist-length hair that was tied up in a high pony-tail. Her hair streamed down her back, and she had light brown eyes. She wore a sleeveless blue top with a short skirt that covered tight black shorts that reached down to her knees. Her arms were bound in bandages. All three had umbrellas strapped to their back, and all had on forehead protectors with the symbol of the Amegakura no Sato (Hidden Rain Village) symbols. 

Rock Lee stepped forward to greet them and ask for their permits, but before he could open his mouth, the black haired girl in the middle spoke.

"Sumimasen (excuse me), my name is Lluvia, and this is Mimi and Tara. We are from he Amegakure no Sato. Here are our permit papers."

The three ninjas pulled out their permits and showed them to the Konoha patrol team.

"I'm Rock Lee and this is Neji, Tenten, and Gai sensei! Welcome to Konoha!" Rock introduced enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you," the three nins said as they bowed politely.

"We were wondering if this is the correct way to head to Yamada Inn?" Lluvia asked.

"Um, yes, if you keep going down this way and make a left at the next major street, you should see it on your right."

"Thank you," Lluvia said and with one last bow, the three were on their way.

Team Gai went on their way as well.

"I thought ninjas from Amegakure were bad tempered. At the last Chuunin exam, a lot of them were. This team seems very nice," Tenten thought out loud.

"Lluvia has strange chakra," Neji blurted out.

"Huh? How so?" Tenten asked with curiousity.

"It flows thicker than regular chakra," Neji explained.

Tenten and Rock gave Neji a look that showed him they didn't quite understand.

"Regular chakra flow moves like gas and it becomes more solid the more it's molded. Lluvia's chakra flows more like liquid. It's more solid to begin with."

They walked in silence for a while.

"It looks like this Chuunin exams are going to be exciting!" Rock Lee exclaimed. His teammates smiled in agreement.

_

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, so I took two characters from one of my original novels and revamped them to fit the Naruto-verse here with new names: Chingis Lei (last name first Asian style) and Lluvia (for anyone who's not familiar with Spanish, ll y sound in English so her name is pronounced 'yuvia'). __Actually, my making them Naruto-verse and fanfic plot-line compatible required some changes in the personalities, too…so they're like whole new characters from the ones in my original novel. Same powers, though. Uh…yeah. Anyways, hope you find them interesting._ _Below is the Valentine's Special 2 that's actually the continuation of this chapter because it feeds into the main plot line(s). It came out a bit long, so I guess there's gonna be a Valentine's Special 3 for the RockLinda ChoujiMimi moments. _ **

* * *

Valentine's Special 2?...ShikaTemari **

The evening light was waning slowly as Shikamaru walked with the three Sand Siblings. He and his team had spent the day showing ninjas from the Sunagakura no Sato (Hidden Sand Village) strategic spots for security posts both around Konoha and specifically around the Chuunin exam locations. With the mission for the day accomplished, Chouji and Ino had just left them for dinner at their homes. Shikamaru had been assigned to 24 hour escort to the Sand Siblings, so he had no such luxury.

"Being a Chuunin really sucks," Shikamaru complained out loud.

He felt a smack upside the back of his head. He turned, wondering who had hit him since Ino wasn't around, and looked into the glaring green eyes of Temari.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Shikamaru exclaimed indignantly.

"Ino's right. Your diplomatic skills are horrible," Temari said with a cross look on her face.

"I didn't even say anything!"

Tenmari responded with a glare.

"Okay, okay, I'll just keep my thoughts to myself," Shikamaru acquiesced, and added in as courteous a tone as he could muster, "What would you all like to have for dinner?"

"Hmm, I heard your ramen here is delicious," Temari said putting a finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"If you heard that from Naruto, I'll have to warn you that he thinks ramen anywhere is delicious," Shikamaru admonished.

Gaara looked up at the mention of Naruto's name. His brother and sister exchanged a look. They did hear it from Naruto.

"Well, I'd like to try it all the same," Kankuro added.

"I'd like to have ramen as well," Gaara said. His siblings looked at him a bit surprised. Gaara never used to have much of a preference for food. He'd eat whatever was put in front of him and usually responded to inquiries about what he felt like eating with a simple 'Anything's fine.'

"Okay, well, there is this one place that is pretty good, but we might run into Konoha's number one most annoying ninja," Shikamaru said.

"Oh, but you're all ready here with us anyway," Tenmari added with a smirk on her face.

"Ha—ha," Shikamaru laughed sarcastically.

It wasn't long until they arrived at the Ichiraku ramen, a small, modest restaurant stand with high stools facing a counter with two chefs on the other side busily minding steaming pots. Sure enough, sitting with his back facing them was a yellow-spiky haired head atop a loud outfit of orange and black. On his right was Hyuuga Hinata and on his left was Uchiha Sasuke, and next to Sasuke sat the pink-haired Haruno Sakura. Gaara ran through their names in his head.

"Oy! Mind if we join you?" Shikamaru called out.

Naruto turned around with the rest of his companions. They all smiled in welcome at the sight of Shikamaru and the Sand siblings. Temari and Kankuro smiled back cordially, but Gaara, not quite used to people sincerely smiling at him, kept a straight face, uncertain of how to respond. Back at the Sunagakura no Sato (Hidden Sand Village), the only smiles he got were appeasing ones tainted with fear. The smiles of the Konoha ninjas on the other hand were genuine and warm.

"Shikmaru! Sand people! What's up?" Naruto said loudly. He felt a bonk on his head.

"Hey, what was that for?" he looked indignantly at Sakura.

"Don't call them 'Sand people' you moron!" Sakura scolded.

Kankuro laughed, "That's okay, that just means we get to call him Leaf Boy."

Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke, and Shikamaru laughed at this. Naruto thought about it for a moment, his brow scrunched up as the rusty wheels in his mind cranked away.

"I don't like that name," he finally decided, then added with triumph, "You can call me Hidden Leaf Boy! That's more ninja sounding."

Everyone laughed heartily at Naruto's brilliant revision. Even Gaara's lips twisted up just the slightest bit in amusement.

"Oh yeah, that's really going to strike fear in the hearts of your enemies," Sasuke jeered.

"Che, it doesn't matter what I'm called now cuz my ultimate title's gonna be Hokage!" Naruto retorted. He gave Gaara a pointed look and confident smile. Gaara looked back with little change in his expression. _Why does he want so badly to be Hokage?_ the Kazekage thought to himself.

"Oy, Sasuke, Sakura, move down, us Kage's have to sit together," Naruto said waving a shooing hand at his two teammates.

"Hey, you're not Hokage yet," Sakura said as she and Sasuke moved obligingly down the row of stools to make room for the four newcomers. The Ichiraku Ramen stand was suddenly brimming with ninjas.

"Not _yet,_" Naruto said with emphasis.

Naruto made no hesitation to order first, "Miso chashu omori (Miso roasted pork fillet large serving)!"

"Watashimo (Me too)," Hinata's quiet voice came from beside Naruto.

Gaara gave the loud Konoha ninja sitting next to him a curious look, then said, "I would like to try the same order please."

"OH! Good choice!" Naruto exclaimed, practically bouncing out of his seat with excitement.

Gaara blinked in response.

"Do you like ramen?" Gaara asked.

"I LOVE RAMEN!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Ah, so desu ne (I see)," Gaara responded.

The conversation at the booth throughout the meal was loud and occasionally broken with laughter. The rich smells and tastes of the ramen filled Gaara's senses and the warmth of the stoves and boiling pots soaked into him. He shivered a bit as if some deep cold within him was being melted away. He watched as Naruto took his ramen bowl in his two hands and poured the hot, flavorful soup down his throat. Gaara picked up his own and did the same, feeling the warm sensation flowing down into his inner being.

"Another serving please!" Naruto requested of the smiling cooks that knew him so well.

"Watashimo (Me too)," Gaara said.

They all had many servings to satisfy their healthy, athletic appetites. Naruto, of course, had the most.

"Wow, it's like you're eating for two," Kankuro commented on Naruto as a new bowl of ramen was placed in front of him.

"You have no idea!" Naruto said, and gave Gaara and meaningful look.

Gaara puzzled at this look.

At the end of the meal, they all stood up, hands on their now full stomachs.

"That really was delicious," Temari exclaimed with a satisfied sigh, then added with a kind look towards her little brother, "Gaara, how did you like your food?"

"It was delicious," Gaara said, and Temari thought she could make out the slightest shadow of a smile on her little brother's face. She smiled warmly. Shikamaru watched her from the corner of his eye.

Hinata and the Team 7 teammates bid the Sand Sibilings and Shikamaru goodnight and went off on their way for the night. While Shikamaru, Temari and Kankuro were engaged in conversation, Gaara watched as the two couples went off in separate directions, his eyes ending up following Naruto. He watched as Naruto's hand slipped into Hinata's and the two looked at each other. Form their profiles, Gaara saw the happy smile on Naruto's face. _Ai…ka (Love…)?_ Involuntarily, a hand came up to his forehead, his fingers touching the symbol that meant 'love' etched in red just below his hairline.

"Gaara, are you okay?" He heard his sister's voice full of concern and turned to her.

"Yes, maybe a little tired," he feigned.

"Oh, we were just talking about checking out a night view of Konoha, but we can do that tomorrow night," Temari said, sounding a little disappointed.

"You know what? I'm a little tired, too. Gaara and I will head on back to the Inn. You go on ahead," Kankuro offered.

"I'm all right, I can—" Gaara started to say.

"No, you should get some rest, Kazekage. You've got a long day ahead of you," Kankuro said and gave Gaara a meaningful look and a movement of his eyes towards their sister.

Gaara had no idea what Kankuro was referring to and responded with a blank stare and just a hint of puzzlement.

"Come on, Kazekage, let's go," Kankuro said before anyone else could object and started walking off raising a hand in goodbye to Shikamaru and Temari.

Gaara, slightly confused, decided to just follow his older brother's lead. Bowing slightly to Shikamaru and his sister, he went off after Kankuro, carrying himself in as stately a manner as ever, betraying little if any of his confusion.

* * *

"This is amazing," Temari exclaimed as she looked out on the scene of a twilight covered Konoha. She and Shikamaru were standing atop one of the main walls that extended from the main gate of Konoha. On one side she saw the sprawled out buildings of the village itself. On the other side of the wall she beheld the vast view of the lands beyond. On both there was much greenery. She pulled out her massive, metallic fan and faced the view of the forests outside of the village walls. The fan opened with what sounded like the unsheathing of a hundred deadly swords. 

"Daikamaitachi no Jutsu (Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique)!"

Temari swung her fan releasing her powerful technique into the clear night air. The jutsu flew through the night sky just atop the forest causing the trees to dance and sway undamaged. The sound of the rustling leaves and branches filled the air with the echo of her strong voice.

"Kimochi (What a great feeling)!" Temari said with a smile as she lifted her face slightly up to the dark sky. Shikamaru looked over at the peaceful smile on his companion's face. He couldn't help but smile, too. It did feel great being out here…with her.

"I like to do that back at home out in the sand dunes. The sound of leaves rustling is a lot like the sound of sand flying," Temari said musingly.

"I think it's doing my brother good being here," she added.

"Oh?" Shikamaru said.

Temari threw him a gentle sideways glance.

"Back at home, everyone's terrified of him. Even I've been terrified of him since he was born."

"Yeah, well, he is pretty scary," Shikamaru said, remembering the time when he and Naruto accidentally witnessed Gaara ruthlessly killing off two ninjas and then walking calmly past them as if they weren't even there.

"He's been different since the last Chuunin exam, though. I'm not sure what happened to him. It's like he's not as angry or something, like he's sitting back trying to figure things out. He hasn't been as temperamental. Everyone's still terrified of him, though."

"What about you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Me?" Temari looked at Shikamaru's profile as he leaned against the fence railing and looked out at the blue-tinted landscape. "I guess…I guess I'm not as terrified of him…anymore. He is after all my little brother. I've been scared of him all these years, but I still cared about him."

Shikamaru smiled thoughtfully. He himself had never had a sibling, but he could relate to her feelings. Chouji, after all, is like a brother to him.

After a peaceful silence, Temari added, "My mother died giving birth to him."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear," Shikamaru gave his condolences. "What was she like?"

Temari gave Shikamaru a bit of a surprised look. It seemed his diplomatic skills weren't so terrible after all. She smiled first at him and then at the memory of her mother.

"She was really kind and gentle, so unlike my father who was always rough and harsh. I think their marriage was arranged. I can't imagine that they fell in love with each other," Temari shared. "In fact, I always got the impression that she hated him."

"Ah, so desu ka (is that so)?" Shikamaru responded to show that he was listening.

"What about you? What are your parents like?"

Shikamaru's face sort of screwed up as if he smelled something unpleasant. Then he looked over at Temari as she looked with interested at him, waiting for his reply. He realized quickly that unlike him, both of her parents were dead. He looked down and laughed pleasantly, realizing how he really felt about his parents despite their quirkiness. He stared out at the serene scene, appreciative that the two of them were still alive and well.

"My dad's a big lazy oaf, and my mom's a constant nag. Sometimes I can't believe they fell in love, too, but every once in a while, I see them smile at each other and they're like two totally different people."

He looked over at Temari and found she was smiling tenderly at him. He suddenly felt a little shy and was glad that the night provided some cover for his blushing cheeks. He tapped his toe against the fence railing nervously.

"You must have gotten that from them," Temari contemplated out loud as she looked upon an embarrassed Shikamaru. "You're so annoying usually but sometimes you're like a totally different person." She recalled how upset he had been when he found out that his friends Chouji and Neji had survived their fights against Orochimaru's men. He had literally cried like a baby, vowing that the next mission he led would be a perfect one. She had seen that through his callous irritability and sardonic exterior and realized that he was indeed a man with a big heart. She saw that in him again as he spoke about his parents.

Shikamaru leaned against the wall, one arm across its railing and the other hung loosely to his side. He suddenly felt something warm and rough slip into his free hand, and he looked down wide-eyed to find Temari's hand holding his. He looked up at her. Temari looked out at the scenery again, avoiding his stare. It was her turn to blush.

Shikamaru blinked, a little surprised at the unexpected turn of events. As understanding seeped in, so did the blood rush to his cheeks. His fingers wrapped gently around hers in return and they stood in silence for a long while, hand in hand.

"By the way, thanks again for saving my life," Shikamaru said, a hint of his usual sarcasm in his voice.

"No problem, Mr. Cry Baby," Temari said affectionately as laughter played across her eyes.

_

* * *

Note: Thanks again for reading and for all of your thoughtful reviews! Please look forward to the next chapter! _


	18. Chapter 18

_Note: Hello all and thank you again for reading! Nothing honors a writer more than having an attentive audience so thanks so much! _

* * *

All The Difference 18

"Hi, Linda?" Sakura asked tentatively. It was morning and she was coming out of the Hokage's office after a training session. She was happy to find Linda also on her own on some kind of errand.

"Hi Sakura. What's up?"

Sakura bit her lower lip wondering how she should go about asking about this. Linda looked at her with expectant blue eyes.

"Sorry to bother you, Linda, but I was just wondering if you happen to know anything about Orochimaru?"

Sakura decided that a quick to the point question was best.

Linda's eyes grew wide at the mention of the traitor Konoha Sannin. His name was definitely familiar to all Konoha ninjas, but young ninjas her age usually didn't know much about him. It seemed a bit surprising that Sakura would seek to learn more about Orochimaru from her. Nonetheless, Linda realized Sakura must have sensed that Linda did in fact know a little more than the average young ninja about Orochimaru.

Sakura watched as the usually confident and out-going Linda withdrew a bit into herself as she became rather pensive.

"I know he was responsible for the death of both the Kazekage and the 3rd Hokage," Linda started generally.

Sakura realized this would take a little digging.

"Do you know anything about the techniques that he uses?"

Linda looked down. She never felt comfortable talking about Orochimaru.

"Probably," the blond haired genin answered cryptically.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean by probably?" Sakura said, trying not to sound rude while expressing her genuine confusion.

In Linda's eyes was a far away look, as if she were visiting a memory that possessed her deeply. Then she looked up and met Sakura's turquoise eyes.

"Orochimaru was Anko sensei's teacher. I've probably learned techniques from Anko sensei that she learned from him."

Sakura responded with a slightly gaping stare as she processed the information. Linda decided to continue on.

"Orochimaru murdered Anko sensei's teammates…Can you believe that? A teacher killing his own students?" Linda had to shake her head as if that would help her make sense of something so unfathomable to her.

"Other than that I don't know. You'll probably get more information if you ask Anko sensei directly. You're in luck, I just talked to her, and she's down the hall in the last office."

Sakura smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Linda."

Linda flashed her usual cheerful smile, no trace of the withdrawn state minutes earlier remained.

"Ja, matane (see you later)," Linda said and she walked out, as upbeat as ever. As she made her way out of the building, the memory Linda had just visited replayed in her mind again.

"_Anko sensei, who was your sensei?" Linda asked. Her two teammates turned with curiosity to hear the answer to that question. The three students sat with their sensei on a hill top camped out under some trees and eating their evening meal of fish as they enjoyed the view of a setting sun. To their surprise, they saw for the first time a deep sadness spread across the eyes of their usually high-spirited and boisterous teacher._

"_Orochimaru,"Anko sensei answered. She didn't turn to watch the eyes of her students grow wide with disbelief. It was common knowledge in Konoha that it was Orochimaru that had staged the attack on his own home village at the last Chuunin exam and was responsible for the death of the 3rd Hokage. _

"_He killed my teammates," Anko added, and the shocked silence deepened. There was a moment of silence, and the three young ninjas couldn't pull their eyes off of their sensei. In the golden glow of sunset, the expression on her face looked even more pained as the memories of times past haunted her. Then a glint of her usual self sparked and she gave them a smile filled with mischief, determination, and a lingering grief._

"_Don't worry," she winked, "I'm not like him. I will always protect the three of you with my life."_

Linda smiled.

* * *

Sakura knocked lightly on the office door.

"Come in!" Anko sensei's loud voice said.

"Anko sensei?" Sakura asked as she slowly opened the door. She looked in just in time to see Anko stuff dangos into her mouth. Her dark hair spiked up behind her head and her cheeks puffed out with the sweet delicacy that she chewed on happily.

"Ah, Shakuwa, wots uph?" Anko tried to communicate through the syrupy glue in her mouth.

"Ohayougozaimasu (good morning), Anko sensei," Sakura said respectfully.

"Ohayou (morning)!" Anko swallowed and smiled cheerfully.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"Oh? About what?" Anko raised an eyebrow, wondering what one of Kakashi's three prized students would want to know from her.

"Well, I heard that your teacher was Orochimaru…" Sakura began and she immediately saw a change in the usually vivacious teacher's demeanor. Suddenly, the jounin's smile was not as wide, her expression not as carefree. Sakura decided she would bring her some dango later to make up for conjuring up unpleasant memories.

"…and I was wondering if you knew anything about the 'cursed seal' technique that he uses."

"Yes," Anko responded quite seriously, "I have one as well."

Anko watched as the information sunk into Sakura's mind and her eyes slowly widened in astonishment.

"I'm sure you're asking because of Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, all I can tell you is that we've been trying to study the cellular changes caused by whatever it is Orochimaru's cursed seal technique does for many years using my very own blood and flesh and we've not been able to learn much of anything useful. When Orochimaru was my sensei, he taught me a number of forbidden techniques that he had developed, but he did not teach me about the gruesome experiments he conducted and what he learned form them. I only served as a subject in one of his experiments."

Sakura stood in silence for a moment. Anko turned away from her and looked out the window to her right.

"When I fought Orochimaru at the last chuunin exam, the pain of the bruise resurfaced as if I had just received it. The pain has been off and on to different degrees ever since. Sometimes, when it's hurting, I wonder if he's nearby."

Anko's right hand reached over behind her left shoulder and touched the spot by her neck that was throbbing as she spoke.

"It hurts even now," she said. Anko walked over the Sakura and pulled her own collar back for the young genin to see. Sakura looked at the dark symbol and gulped involuntarily. It was exactly like the one on Sasuke.

"Do you think he's nearby now?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know. But I know for sure, he's out there somewhere and very much alive," Anko said and Sakura followed her gaze out the window at the peaceful Konoha scene.

"Yes, very much alive indeed."

* * *

Naruto lead a blindfolded Hinata out into the woods.

"How much farther is it?" Hinata's soft voice floated above the sounds of their footsteps on the forest floor. Naruto smiled, the soothing sound of her voice was always an angelic balm for his soul. Her hand in his, he gave her fingers a reassuring rub with his thumb.

"Soon."

Hinata blushed a bit at the sensation of his rough and warm, calloused caress. The Chuunin exams were to begin tomorrow morning, and Naruto had called her out for one last night of time together before they became all consumed by the exams.

Hinata felt Naruto pace slow down.

"Okay…you ready?"

"Mmh," Hinata said with an excited nod.

Naruto pulled the blindfold off. Immediately Hinata's eyes began drinking their fill of a wondrous sight. They stood at the edge of a large lake that rolled and turned gently while reflecting the night sky like an enormous, glittering mirror. The full moon glowed majestic above, and its echo on the lake surface was ethereal as if it were the moon of another dimension. Around the lake stood acres upon acres of trees and rolling hills that glowed with a dark green and glimmered with the raindrops of a late afternoon shower. On top of that, fireflies danced at the waters edge, flashing their lights as if they were stars that had wandered down to the Earth for an evening of play. Everything sparkled as if in they were standing in the crystal mists of a beautiful dream.

"Kirei!" Hinata exclaimed in wonderment. Naruto smiled, pleased with her reaction.

"I thought you would like it."

Hinata gave his hand an appreciative squeeze.

"This is perfect! Come on! I wanted to show you a new style my mother's been teaching me," Hinata said as she pulled Naruto towards the water.

The two ran from ground surface onto the lake surface as if they were sprites on a playground of floating diamonds, the water rippling out smoothly from each of their steps. Their minds were floating carefree as they enjoyed the sensation of the fluid path and the sky and forest seemed to extend to eternity around them. It felt like they could be here like this…together forever.

Suddenly, Hinata let go of Naruto's hand and sprinted a bit ahead, then she slid on the lake surface as if she were skating on ice and stopped a few yards ahead of him. Her left leg bent as the majority of her weight was put on it, and she placed her right leg front with the tip of her toe slightly touching the water surface causing tiny ripples. Her hands were held up almost delicately up in front of her, her right hand at chest level and her left hand at face level, but instead of fists or the firm fingers together position she usually has for the Hyuuga specialty Juken (Gentle Fist), Hinata's fingers were held slightly apart in a elegant array that looked like she was about the perform a dance about a fairies in a garden of flowers.

"Shoubu (match)!" Hinata challenged Naruto.

His eyes grew wide at first because the stance she took seemed more artistic than martial, but he was soon smiling and sunk into his own stance, his hands raised in fists to meet her dare. He could tell he was going to find this new form of fighting interesting.

Naruto looked at her for a moment, waiting for her begin but he noticed the dash of impishness in her seemingly gentle smile which told him that she was waiting for him to make the first move.

He leaned forward and began a sequence of punches and kicks in an unpredictable pattern aimed at her head, her torso, and her legs. He marveled at the sigh of Hinata as she responded to his advancing attacks.

Hinata swayed and twirled and dipped as if she were doing a pre-choreographed dance, reading and predicting his every movement flawlessly. Naruto's attacks hit only air. The spray and ripple of water that emanated form her movements only served to add to the artistic feel of her movements and the backdrop of forest, twilight, and reflected night sky seemed an otherworldly stage upon which she floated like seaweed waving gracefully in the currents of the sea. This new technique seemed more like an entirely new style of fighting.

Trying not to be hypnotized too completely by her bewitching performance, Naruto strained to increase the speed of his attacks, but Hinata matched him with little effort. Then, without warning, she twirled again, her body dropping and her right leg swung out drawing a large circle around herself on the lakes' surface. Her movements were so fast and fluid that Naruto had little time to realize what she had done. All he saw was a blur of Hinata's image in front of him, a large circle appearing suddenly on the lake and then serenely rippling both inwards and outwards, and then his legs were swept out from underneath him and before he knew it, he had splashed right into the middle of the lake and was soaking wet. His head popped up out of the lake and looked up to see a dry and smiling Hinata standing on the surface of the water, holding the same position that she had started the match with.

"Okay, now you're asking for it," Naruto laughed as he molded his chakra and climbed back onto the surface of the lake, his clothes heavy with the absorbed water. He placed his hands in a familiar seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A group of solid Naruto clones appeared in puffs of smoke surrounding Hinata, though all were dripping wet with water. With a cacophony of battle cries that echoed through the night sky, they closed in on her, throwing punches and kicks with the speed and agility expected of a rising Konoha ninja.

All around him, Naruto heard the sound of loud 'poofs' as his clones were taken out one at a time. Somehow, Hinata seemed to be sliding in through the cracks between the many attackers and hitting them at vital spots. Soon, Naruto found himself alone, his clones defeated and gone, and as he fought to regain his footing and regroup, he felt a number of not so gentle pokes at different points in his body and then he splashed back into the lake.

When his head poked back out of the lake, Naruto tried to climb back onto the water's surface but to no avail. He blew bubbles of frustration in the water as he realized Hinata had blocked off some of his chakra flow.

Hinata giggled and laughed, her voice ringing like wind chimes across the lake. Naruto gave her a look of mock anger, his pouting expression like that of a child who had just lost a game of hopscotch.

"Here, float up on your back," Hinata instructed, laughter still playing in her voice. Naruto did as he was told and floated obligingly let Hinata unblock all of the chakra channels she had attacked with her Juken.

Naruto climbed back up onto the lake surface and rejoined Hinata who stood dry next to him.

"Oh dear, we should go and get you dry or you'll catch cold," Hinata said, concerned, but still a smile played on the corned of her lips.

"No problem, watch this," Naruto said, then added, "stand back away form me a little."

Hinata obliged and watched as Naruto concentrated. He held his hands in front of him as if he were about to pray and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he pulled his hands apart and, forming fists with palms faced up, he pulled them quickly down and his chest heaved forward as his head tilted upward and his eyes shot open with a red glint in their blue. Around his body formed a perfect red sphere of chakra and for a moment, Naruto looked like he was a statue encased in an orb made of red tinted glass. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the red sphere dissipated into the night air.

The whole while, Hinata had stood wide eyed with wonder, and now she stepped close to Naruto. She touched his jacket, then examined his hair, his face, and hands.

"Why, you're all dry! How did you do that?" she exclaimed in astonishment.

"Something I learned from Kyubi," Naruto answered matter-of-factly.

"Wow, it was pretty cool," Hinata said, still amazed.

"And useful, too," Naruto said as he ran his fingers through his dry, spiky yellow hair.

Hinata laughed. Leave it to Naruto to use a high level chakra technique to blow dry his hair.

Naruto slipped a hand behind an unsuspecting Hinata's back and pulled her to himself. His other hand reach up and cupped her face in its palm, his fingers slid into her silky blue hair that glistened in the twilight. Hinata blushed at his brash movements, finding herself staring up into his blue eyes. He kissed her forehead affectionately and then hugged her, his arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Please be careful," Naruto said, his words full of concern. Hinata knew he was referring specifically to the Chuunin exams that were to begin in the morning.

"I will. You be careful, too," she said and held him firmly in return.

Wound around both of their wrists were a matching set of chains attached to a thin kunai, a secured, hidden weapon up the sleeve, gifts they had given to each other both as protective charms and weapons for battle. As the two held each other under moonlight standing atop the sparkling lake, the rippling reflection of their embrace mirrored on the liquid below, they needed to speak no words to know that at the next break of dawn, they would be enemies in the life threatening competition for the title of Chuunin.

* * *

Back in the middle of the Konoha village in a quiet and deserted children's park, Sakura and Sasuke sat on a bench together hand in hand. She had been relaying to him the details of her meeting with Anko this morning.

"Does your bruise hurt?"

"Occasionally, yes," Sasuke replied.

"Does it hurt now?"

"No, not now."

His response did little to abate her worry.

"Do you think he's nearby when it hurts?" Sakura's worried queries kept coming.

"I don't know."

Sasuke didn't know how to ease her worries.

"Sakura," he put a hand up to her face, "if Orochimaru comes for me, I will fight him with every ounce of my being."

"You mean _when_ he comes for you."

As he had expected, his words did little to comfort her.

"I promise. I'll win. For you, for us, for Konoha…I'll win."

Sakura managed a weak smile. She buried her face in his chest, feeling the warmth of his arms around her, sensing the pulsating heart that kept him alive within. She wished they could be like this forever, unperturbed by the turmoil of the outside world and immune to Death's touch. In the midst of her worry sparked a burning will that manifested as a fierce look of determination that she hid within the folds of his cloths as she held him closer—she would protect him at all cost.

* * *

The sun cast its first rays of light on the forest of death. Team 7 had arrived first under the cover of twilight. They had waited quietly together in the blue dark before dawn, all three pondering silently to themselves, reminiscing about the last time they went through the forest of death, and anticipating the excitement and challenges of the Chuunin exam that was now upon them again. When they caught each other's eyes, they saw a mirrored look of determination. None of them planned to end this Chuunin exam still a Genin. As they watched the arrival of their opponent teams, a number of them obviously rookies, they felt both nostalgic and pity at the same time. Unlike the time when they were the rookies in the exam, when they felt intimidated by all the contestants, they could easily sense that they were one of the strongest teams there. However, they knew that the other Konoha teams had also become stronger and who knew what surprises the nins from the other villages had waiting for them.

The crowd grew larger and larger including the arrivals of their own Konoha teams. As Team Gai, Team Asuma, Team Kurenai, and the new Team Anko showed up, everyone exchanged knowing smiles, short greetings, but somehow, the beginnings of this new Chuunin exam felt rather solemn. The somber ambiance was partly due to the memory of the 3rd Hokage who had died at the last exam. The fond memories he left behind and the legacy of his determination to protect his home village lived on in all of them as they set forth to make a new name and a new generation of great ninjas for Konoha. They also felt the weight of responsibility of the village on their backs. Fighting was no longer just a personal pursuit for improvement; being older and more mature, they were all aware that their performance would speak for Konoha's reputation, and they were determined to show the world the strength they had worked hard to develop in the name of protecting their village.

On top of that was a fact that gnawed at the back of their minds, the fact that they would all be enemies for the duration of these exams. At their first Chuunin exam three years earlier, they had gone in as bright eyed and generally naïve kids, but a lot had happened in the last three years and stronger bonds had formed between them that had grown past just their innocent childhood relations. The Chuunin Exams wasn't a ball game and it wasn't just practice; it would be mortal combat with chance of serious injury and even death. Naruto and Hinata exchanged longing glances at each other here and there. They would much rather be protecting each other than be pitted against each other.

Despite it all, they knew they had to do this, for themselves as growing ninjas and for the village.

"Ohayougozaimasu mina (good morning everyone)," spoke a steady and firm, yet loud voice.

The candidates all turned to the source the voice, a man standing atop a large boulder nearby wearing a long white buttoned down coat with a collar that reached up covering the bottom half of his face. He wore dark, sleek sunglasses, and his black hair spiked up on his head like a dark, menacing flame. His hands were in his pockets, and his demeanor was calm and composed.

"My name is Aburame Shibi. I am a Konoha Jounin. I will be the examiner for this first part of the Chunin exams."

Their examiner's speech was slow, clear, and very formal. Naruto squinted his eyes at him.

"He looks kind of familiar to me…" Naruto thought out loud.

Sakura bonked him on his spiky yellow head with her fist.

"Duh, he's Shino's father," she hissed at him.

Sasuke laughed. He always thought Sakura and Naruto were like brother and sister, with Naruto being the ototo (younger brother) who was always being scolded by his aneki (elder sister).

"Oh, uh, hahahaha, now that you mention it…" Naruto said embarrassed.

Sasuke gave him a pat on the back.

"We need to work on your inner monologue," he teased.

Their attention went back to the examiner.

"I will now go over the details of the first examination which will begin shortly. This exam will be composed of two parts. The first will be an all out battle royal, a day of fights to the finish between teams. You will be required to be on constant move, so setting up a base for static defense will not be allowed. If you stay in the same place for over 15 minutes for any other reason than battle with another team, you will be immediately disqualified. Any two teams that meet in the forest must part with one team completely incapacitated. All three members of a team must be defeated for a team to be considered defeated. A defeated team is immediately failed from the rest of the Chuunin exams. We would encourage you to not cause any unnecessary deaths, but as always, death has been historically a part of the Chuunin exams as well as the namesake of this forest. This first part of the exam ends at sunset tonight."

"How are you going to monitor the movements of so many teams in such a large forest space?" a random candidate asked.

One of Aburame senior's eyebrows raised as if to indicate he was pleased that someone asked that question. Around him emerged other members of the Aburame clan, all wearing slight variations of similar attire, all with dark black hair and a variety of dark sunglasses.

"The forest is full of insects that will be our eyes and ears. They have been instructed to attack you as well as report to us if there should be any transgressions against the aforementioned rules or aberration in your activities during the exams."

Sakura heaved an involuntary sigh of relief. It was at the last Chunin exams that Sasuke had been attacked by Orochimaru in the depths of the forest of death. She had feared that somehow Orochimaru would infiltrate the exam again and come after Sasuke. With the Aburame clan's complete surveillance system, however, it seemed that at least if Orochimaru should show up, there would be an expedient alert system in place and help would arrive fast where it hadn't last time. Then she realized that was probably why Aburame Shibi had been assigned to be the examiner for this first exam. Security was tighter at this Chunin exam than it had ever been before.

"Hey! Doesn't that mean Shino has an advantage over all of us since he's your son?" Naruto bellowed out in his not so subtle voice.

A low mumble of disproval passed over the crowd of candidates.

"Actually, Shino will be the easiest to monitor of everyone here because of his…special condition," Aburame senior noted.

"Oh, okay," Naruto said, satisfied with his answer, then he turned to Shino and said with an impish smile, "Sucks to be you!"

Shino responded with a sarcastic raise and twitch of the eyebrow. Shibi continued on.

"The second part of the exam will begin at daybreak of the second day. A number of Konohagakure and Sunagakure jounin have agreed to partake in this second part. When the sun rises, the jounin will be scouring the forest and attacking all teams that they can find. This means that the time between sunset and sunrise will be the only time you have to find a suitable base and prepare for an attack by one or more high level ninjas. This first part of the exam is meant to have a 70 fail rate which means the jounin will continue their hunt until we reach this failure rate."

A shiver ran down a number of the candidates' spines. Some were shivering with excitement while others were shivering with fear. Some shivered with both. Fighting ninjas of that caliber was far different from fighting other genins. This would be an exam to remember indeed…if they survived it.

"Are there any questions?" Shibi asked with an even voice. His question was met with silence.

"Good. Take your positions at the gates. One team will be let in at a time at each gate with a five minute wait between teams. Good luck to you all."

In no time, gates were flung open with rusty, metallic creeks and teams of ninjas were flying into the forest one group at a time.

_

* * *

Note: Woot! On to the martial arts action! bows to poster of Jet Li 'Grant me inspiration, oh great gods of martial arts choreography.'_

_Here's a quick short on Chouji and Mimi's first meeting which I thought was kinda cute and worth sharing. I've kinda put Linda in the story a lot, so sorry about not having a Rock/Linda short. I'm pouring all of my extra writing chakra into the upcoming chapters that are going to be rather intense. Please look foreword to it!_

**

* * *

Final Valentine's Special 3 ChojiMimi**

**When Mimi met Chouji**

**Time frame: Before 1st Shinobi Soccer Game**

Mimi was upstairs in her room getting ready to help her parents with the afternoon lunch rush at their BBQ restaurant in Konoha when she looked briefly outside her window and saw the sight of her overweight cat, the pudgy Mochi, stuck up in a tree across the street.

"Oh Mochi, not again."

She finished tying up her long, dark locks into a pony tail and rushed downstairs with plans to climb up the tree and rescue her cat before work.

"meeeewwww"

The barely audible sound reached the ears of Shikamaru and Chouji as they walked towards the BBQ restaurant that Chouji loved so much.

"What was that?" Shikamaru looked around perplexed.

"It's coming from somewhere up there," Chouji said pointing up to a tree full of lush green leaves nearby.

"meeeewww."

The sound came again. They walked over to the tree and looked up, finding the sight of a plump and fluffy white cat clinging to the tree limb looking like a large, white furry peach growing amongst the foliage.

"I think it's stuck. I'll climb up and get it," Chouji said and made for the tree trunk.

"Can't you just jump up and get it? I mean, you are a ninja after all," Shikamaru suggested, though he smiled knowingly. He knew Chouji had a kind heart and a soft spot for helpless creatures.

"If I jump up I might scare it and it would fall and hurt itself. I have to go at this slowly," Chouji explained, all ready hoisting his considerable weight up onto the side of the tree trunk as he began to climb up.

Shikamaru watched a bit impatiently as Chouji made his slow ascent up the tree. Neither of the two young genin noticed the petite, black haired girl peering at them from around the corner of the BBQ restaurant across the street.

Chouji huffed and puffed as he climbed, careful not to make any sudden movements to frighten the cat.

"mmeeeeewwww," the cat called again tragically.

"Here," Chouji finally reached it and slid a gentle hand under its soft belly and began to carefully pull the frightened feline off the branch and into his firm hold. With the cat securely under his arm, Chouji came down the tree slower than he had climbed up. When he had both his feet firmly on solid ground, he asked the cat, "Where do you live?" Just as he lifted a hand up to check the cat's collar for a tag, a voice interrupted him.

"She's my cat," the voice of a young girl cut through their attentiveness to the cat.

"Oh," Chouji smiled and handed the cat over to her owner with a friendly smile.

"Thank you for rescuing her from the tree. Mochi! I told you not to go climbing trees again," she scolded and hugged the cat that was now purring contently in her arms. Then she looked back up at Chouji.

"My name is Mimi. How can I thank you for helping Mochi?" she said sincerely.

"Oh, no, it was not big deal. I'm Chouji and this is my friend Shikamaru. It was really no trouble at all, so don't worry about it," Chouji said.

"Looked like a lot of trouble to me," Shikamaru said dryly.

Chouji threw him a warning glance.

Mimi laughed.

"At least let me give you lunch for your help. My parents own the BBQ restaurant just across the street."

Shikamaru stared at her, then at Chouji, and then back at Mimi.

"Your parents own _that_ restaurant? That's Chouji's absolute _favorite_ restaurant in like the whole _universe_. Oh my gosh, you two are like a match made in heaven," Shikamaru jested with overly dramatic emphasis.

Chouji's face turned bright red and he elbowed Shikamaru in the ribs.

"OW! Hey, that really hurt!" Shikamaru said indignantly with a sparkle of laughter still in his eyes.

Mimi laughed and her voice carried through the air like a cheerful melody. Chouji just stood there and kept blushing with an embarrassed, dumbfounded smile. He thought Mimi was the most attractive girl he'd every met.


	19. Chapter 19

_Note: Thanks everyone for your great feedback as always! Thanks also for your patience and for continuing to enjoy this fanfic with me! Oh, by the way, I made a Team 7 AMV for fun, so check it out on youtube dot com. Search for user tinabot and watch my other amv if you are so inclined. Enjoy! _

* * *

All The Difference 19

"Sensatsu Suisho (A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)!"

The last standing ninja from the Kirigakure no Sato (Hidden Mist Village) carried out his technique and a slew of piercing needles flew down towards Sasuke.

"Katon—" Sasuke began, about to execute his Ryuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique) to vaporize the rain of deadly liquid needles when all of them suddenly dissipated, splashing apart and falling harmlessly like so many drops of rain to the ground. It was as if they were each and every one pierced by some invisible force. Then Naruto suddenly jumped out from behind him and performed a triple punch combo followed by a round house spinning kick sideways axe kick that sent his ankle smashing into the side of the Mist nin's head. The nin flew towards a nearby tree, hit the wood with a thud, and then slid down the tree surface and lay unconscious at its roots.

_Show off, _Sasuke thought.

"What technique was that?" he asked a satisfied and slightly smug looking Naruto.

"Hi-mi-tsu (Se-cret)," Naruto answered.

"Che," Sasuke spat jokingly—yet not so jokingly.

They had just defeated their 12th team for the day, twelve teams that they had come upon and defeated in the 10.5 hours since the exam began. Team 7 continued on at a stroll, quite proud of their impeccable success rate, knowing that they had preserved the reputation of Konoha as the strongest Ninja village in the world.

"I wonder how the others are doing…" Naruto thought out loud.

The other two pondered in silence. They had actually beaten one Konoha team, one of older Genin that they were not familiar with and were aware that Naruto was referring specifically to their own friends. They knew Naruto was especially worried about Team Kurenai's Hyuga Hinata.

"I'm sure they're doing great, too," Sakura offered.

"Ah," Sasuke agreed.

"Yeah…" Naruto hesitantly added.

"I'm a bit disappointed with the nins from the other villages," Sasuke said, "I thought we'd at least meet some who were a lot stronger. Like the Sand nins from our first exam."

The other two nodded in agreement. Though they beat so many teams, none had provided much of a challenge for the three. It was a testament to their improvement individually as ninjas and as a team. After all, they had each become a respective prized student of the each of the three legendary Konoha Sannin.

"Well, in any case," Sakura considered, "we'll be fighting against Jounin tomorrow, so we won't finish this exam without a serious workout."

They walked on in silence.

Then, in the distance, they saw something. Three figures a few hundred yards away were walking on a path that intersected with theirs.

"Victory number 13 dead ahead!" Naruto broke into a sprint and his two teammates were quickly at his heels.

Then Naruto's energetic run towards their next adversaries slowed down, and soon he was at a standstill. His two teammates, distracted by his change in speed, slowed with him, their eyes on him in confusion trying to understand why he had stopped. They saw on his face a look of great upset that he was trying to hold back and control. They followed his pained gaze and realized what had stopped him in his tracks. Ahead of them stood a genin team of three Konoha ninjas plus one small, furry white dog. Even from a distance, they could make out Hinata's equally pained face and the looks of concern her own teammates were throwing towards her.

In their current formation, Naruto stood facing Kiba, Sasuke faced Shino, and Hinata and Sakura were paired off. _At least I'll fight Hinata, it would be harder for him to have to face her himself_, Sakura thought automatically.

"Sakura," Naruto began, his voice completely serious, "you take on Kiba. He may have a good sense of smell for countering genjutsu, but you're good enough at it to still have the upper hand. You can disorient his other senses and finish him off that way. Sasuke, you take Shino. He's got Destruction Bugs up his sleeve, but I know you have even more tricks up your own to be able to counter him. Me, I'll take Hinata."

Sakura gave Naruto a slightly stunned look. It was all ready unusual enough to hear him speak in such a solemn tone, but she could tell he wasn't joking or being biased with his strategic analysis. Still, she felt she had to intervene.

"Naruto, why don't you just let me take on Hinata? I think it would be best…" Sakura began to protest.

"No, Sakura, I know her best and you don't realize she's got some techniques that will immobilize you before you can even begin. I fought Neji once and won. I've trained and fought against the Byakuugan more than anyone outside their clan. And Hinata's learned this new Juken style…I don't know if even Fuzzy Eyebrow's Taijutsu could compete against it."

Sakura was silent. She didn't know what to say.

"Wakarimasu (Understood)," Sasuke finally broke the silence.

"Okay, let's go," Naruto said with a determination in his voice that sent shivers through Sakura. A calculating, ruthless Naruto was not what she was used to.

Naruto lunged forward towards Hinata before anyone else had a chance to begin. She had a look of determination in her eyes to, one that told him no one was holding anything back in this fight. They had thought they might face each other in the Chuunin exams, and they had made a silent agreement that there would be no pulled punches.

Hinata's byakuugan hyper-activated, the veins and nerves around her eyes bulged threateningly. On top of that, she took the pose she took the night before on the lake, her weight on her back leg, the tip of her front foot barely touching the ground, her fingers up in front in the graceful gesture of what looked like blooming lily flower.

She watched as Naruto's blue eyes came towards her surrounded by a blur of orange and yellow as his body sped towards her. Then, just as Hinata's image had disappeared in front of Naruto in their friendly bout the night before, the image of Naruto coming towards her blurred, but instead of showing up somewhere nearby, Naruto seemed to just disappear all together which was an amazing feat considering she had her 360 vision ability at full force. _He couldn't have moved out of my range of sight that quickly…_she wondered. Hinata had raised the 50 meter range of her byakuugan to a 300 meter radius—quite a distance to move through so quickly.

Hinata's lips formed a tight line. She knew Naruto was staying in motion to make it difficult for her to blind him using Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun) which requires a razor sharp surgical precision chakra attack on another's chakra system. A moving target decreased the effectiveness of the attack.

A shower of kunai and shuriken suddenly flew towards her from various directions as if she were completely surrounded by multiple enemies who just took deadly aim at her with countless ninja buki (weapons).

"Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl)!"

Her body was surrounded by a blue sphere of chakra that provided a complete defense against the onslaught. Not a single one scratched her body; the barrage of weapons embedded into the forest trees and earthen floor around her like hail striking the forest scene. Hinata took a deep breath to recover her composure from the technique she had just executed. She listened and observed intently. In the distance, she heard the sound of a yelp, of Kiba's voice, and then the silencing of Kiba's voice. She searched for Naruto, but he was nowhere to be found. She realized he was expertly keeping his distance, forcing Hinata to go on the defensive and giving her no chance to use her mother's Fuchin Hana Juken (Floating Flower Gentle Fist) against her opponent.

Then she saw it, twenty Naruto's suddenly coming into view on the edge of her range of vision. Not one of them was the real Naruto. For a moment she just watched in awe as all twenty clones executed the Hidden Kunai of Konoha, the technique she and Naruto had learned with her father, and an even thicker rain of chakra knives came flying in at her. Naruto was executing technique upon technique, hybridizing jutsu almost effortlessly, fueling it all with an amazing stamina, well honed ninja skills, and incisive attention and strategy.

Hinata initiated her own Hidden Kunai, doubling the amount of chakra blades she usually formed in training in order to negate a significant amount of Naruto's onslaught. She felt the chakra energy draining from her as her counter move successfully deterred the incoming attack. Willing her chakra to restore quickly, the blue flame inside her flared up fiercely soon after it waned. She executed the Hakkesho Kaiten (Divine Whirl) again, and she avoided being scratched despite the seemingly unavoidable assault she had just undergone. Again she began to take a deep breath to recover from the defensive moves but that breath suddenly turned into a gasp of surprise. Through her byakuugan vision, she saw the flicker of the image of Naruto's chakra system, first 300 meters away, then 200, then 100, then right behind her. It all happened within a split second, and it was almost like Naruto was in all four locations simultaneously for he arrived at the new location before the traces of his chakra system disappeared from the old.

Behind Hinata, Naruto wasted no time. If she began the jutsu that her mother had taught her, he would have little chance of winning and all his efforts up to that point would have been wasted. He took advantage of her moment of shock and surprise and of his strategic position behind her where her attack options were minimized. He slammed a fist into her back right into her spine causing her to fly foreword. He could feel that she had created a chakra shield that minimized the damage, but he knew at least some of his attack went through because she cried out in pain. He was upon her, throwing sequence upon sequence of attacks, giving her no time to recover her footing. He also disappeared from one location to another the same way he had traveled towards her so quickly, using the new Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) that Jiraiya had taught him, making use of all the ninja buki (weapons) he had embedded all around their battle ground. Their real target were the trees and earth, not Hinata, for they each had upon them the Jutsu-shiki (Jutsu formula), a mark that allowed Naruto to teleport to that location.

Hinata tried helplessly to dodge his attacks, but it was no use. He moved too quickly, his speed was something her mother's Fuchin Hana Juken (Floating Flower Gentle Fist) could not beat. She could not predict where he was going to be next, and though she blocked and avoided some of his attacks, many of them hit their mark, and she was quickly wearing down under the weight of growing exhaustion and injury after injury.

Finally, Hinata could stand on her own two legs no longer. She could feel that her entire body was covered in bruises. She winced at a sprained ankle and a possibly broken wrist bone. She fell to her knees in a slump, barely able to hold her head up. A shadow fell over her eyes.

Sakura and Sasuke emerged from the forest. They were covered in a few smudges of dirt, nicked in a few places, but came victorious from their own battles. The battle with their own Konoha peers was the toughest they had endure this first day of the Chuunin exams. Before them was what looked like a war zone. Shuriken and kunai spotted the forest scene, upturning earth and splitting open wood. Cut marks of invisible weapons were everywhere, and there were large smears in the dirt and growth on the forest floor where, as far as they could tell, Hinata had been thrown.

In the center of the destruction stood a victorious Naruto, not a smudge of dirt on his body; his strategy against Hinata had been flawless. His head was bowed, his hands gripped in tight fists, the last rays of sunlight streaming diagonally through the foliage above and falling upon kunai, shuriken, and Konoha ninja giving the ambiance a sad beauty. At his feet and on her knees was slumped a silent, dark-haired Hinata also with her head bowed. Both of their eyes were hidden in shadow for what seemed like eternity. The only movement at first was the changing position of the rays of sunlight as the sun was making its decent. Slowly, the insects, birds and other creatures wandered back into the area, having been scared away earlier. Two dragonflies flew by with purpose.

Suddenly, Naruto reached down and grabbed Hinata by the collar and raised her up like a rag doll.

Sakura and Sasuke couldn't help but gasp; Sakura involuntarily raised her hand up to cover her mouth. Hinata's eyes were still open, and in their pale iris was still twinkling a spark of consciousness. How she had remained awake after such an assault was quite amazing indeed. Naruto looked up at the defeated enemy he held up before him, his blue eyes burning with determination.

Hinata gave him a weak smile.

"G…...Gan…Ganbatte (Keep at it…), Naruto," Hinata said in her soft voice that was infused with much pain. She had wanted to wish him luck on the rest of the exam before she was knocked out.

Naruto's resolution faltered, solidified again, and faltered again. He held back his free hand in a tight fist pulled far behind him, the final blow that would knock her unconscious and ensure the victory of his team over hers.

"D…Daijoubu…(It's okay…)" Hinata encouraged.

Naruto shattered. He pulled Hinata down towards him, cradling her limp body gently in his arms as he fell to his knees and buried his face in her neck.

"Dai…joubu…Naruto…you won…" Hinata tried to console him, "…finish it."

Naruto shook his head furiously as his two teammates looked on. His body was quivering and shivering as if he were sitting in a deep rift of snow.

The sun, still visible over the horizon, made its final decent and marked the end of the first part of the exam.

* * *

Team 7 and Team 8 sat together as they waited for the examiners to come collect them.

"I can see why Hokage-sama says you're her star medical pupil," Hinata said to Sakura. The soft-spoken genin moved her wrist around, the fracture from earlier completely healed. The sprang in her ankle was also remedied, all thanks to Sakura's careful attention.

"Oh? She told me you're her star medicine pupil," Sakura threw the compliment back at Hinata.

"Well, it seems like your healing abilities are more useful right now than my chemical abilities," Hinata added. Sakura gave a short laugh, admitting defeat in this game of praise.

Shino and Kiba, who had both regained consciousness and had their wounds treated by Sakura, were resting against a nearby tree. Akamaru was curled up in Kiba's lap. Hinata was propped up by an attentive Naruto as Sakura finished her treatment.

"Arigato, Sakura…ano, gomen…" Naruto began, but Sakura quieted him with a wave of her hand.

"We're not out of the game completely yet. We took down a lot of teams today. Even though we won't continue on to the next exams, we still have a chance of getting promoted to Chuunin. I mean, look at Shikamaru. He gave up at his final match against Temari, and he was the only one out of all of us to become Chuunin," Sakura explained.

"Yeah, and even if we don't, there will be another Chuunin exam in sixth months. It'll just mean we have more time to train," Sasuke added.

Naruto smiled, appreciative of his supportive teammates.

"I wonder why they haven't shown up yet. It's been over an hour since sunset," Naruto mused.

"Maybe we haven't been disqualified yet," Shino's voice unexpectedly added to the conversation. They all turned to look at him.

"No way, the sun hadn't set yet when we were fighting…so the first part of the exam was still going on before…. Are you saying maybe your dad's surveillance didn't catch us?" Naruto mentioned.

"My family's surveillance capabilities are flawless," Shino with no trace of doubt in his voice.

"Oh! The instructions for the first part of the exam were 'Any two teams that meet in the forest must part with one team completely incapacitated'," Sakura exclaimed, demonstrating her keen memory.

"…and we didn't part…" Sasuke added.

"…which means we aren't disqualified!" Kiba finished.

"If you recall," Shino added with a raised eyebrow at Naruto, "My father also said I was the easiest to monitor of all the candidates, and thus surveillance is definitely not an issue."

"Wait, so if we haven't failed out of the exam yet…" Naruto began.

"We have less than 11 hours until the Jounin begin their Genin hunt," Hinata ended.

Their eyes shot wide open at the realization.

"Sakura, anything in the directions about not being able to team up for the second part of the exam?" Sasuke asked.

"Nope. Actually, there wasn't anything about not being able to team up for any part of the exam," Sakura answered.

"We should have caught onto this sooner," Hinata said.

"Yeah…" Naruto added. They had all been so intent on competing that they forgot the value of alliances in battle.

"It's settled then!" Kiba said exuberantly, "Let's join forces on this one. We'll have a much better chance of defeating a Jounin if we do this together."

Kiba's comment was met with a determined nod of the head and a sound of affirmation from each of his peers, "Mmh!"

Hinata stood up, stretched out her legs, and said, "Let's get started!"

They found a base site and earnestly began to strategize and put up their traps.

* * *

Hinata and Naruto sat together in a forest alive with the sounds of nocturnal animals. It was their turn to keep watch while the others of their group slept in preparation for the next day's attack. The forest was so thick that most of the view above them was just the black underside of foliage, though occasionally there was a patch of sky where stars and moonlight could peek through. Naruto looked over at Hinata who sat on a branch a few feet away from him. Her byakuugan was activated as she scanned the area. Satisfied, she let the nerves around her eyes smooth out and turned to a Naruto that she had noticed was looking at her.

"Hinata…gomen…" Naruto began.

"No, you shouldn't be. That was a good fight. I always wondered what you would do if you fought me at full force," Hinata said with a thoughtful smile.

"But we could have avoided the fight if we had figured out the rules earlier…" Naruto tried to argue apologetically.

"Well, I'm glad we didn't figure it out earlier. Battling you was the best training I ever had. You knew all my strengths and thus all my weaknesses. Fighting against an opponent like you has given me a lot to think about for my next steps in training."

Naruto's mouth was open but he couldn't come up with anything to say. Then Hinata gave him a cheerful smile.

"You helped me become stronger, Naruto. Arigato."

She sat there, the bit of twilight that reached them from the blocked out sky above glittered over her dark hair. She kicked her feet light heartedly like a child who was sitting on a swing and experimenting with how kicking affected the movement of the swing. The determination in her eyes, the strength of her words, the joy she showed in becoming a better person, a stronger ninja…it was all why he had fallen in love with her in the first place, the reasons he found her so beautiful. He felt a welling of emotion in his chest that flushed his face red.

Hinata gasped and jumped off her branch and to his side.

"Naruto! Are you okay? Your face is a little red!" Hinata exclaimed with concern. She pressed a hand to his face and felt the warmth emanating off of his skin, her mind racing through all of the medicines that were effective for reducing a fever.

Naruto put a hand up to her hand and held it against his face.

"More than okay," he said with an affectionate smile as he looked lovingly into her eyes. It was Hinata's turn to blush.

* * *

The sun's rays poured ominously into the forest marking the beginning of the second day. Team 7 and Team 8 stood ready and alert in their base. They had found a location near a large overgrowth of trees whose roots had formed some empty cavities perfect for hiding and defense. They were all positioned around the large trees that tangled together in what was like one, solid, massive island of trees molded together.

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were positioned around the perimeter of the base at different heights as surveillance since the three were expert at detecting the enemy. In the center was Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, each hidden under a separate enclave of roots facing a different direction. Positioning themselves at separate locations was the only way to spread out their surveillance while at the same time not having all of them cornered into one place as an easy one shot target.

All members of the group had a perfect view of a particular patch of earth at the foot of their islet of trees. The patch of sand had a few strategic pebbles laid there that marked a large circle representing a 300 meter radius of area around their base—the range of their surveillance capabilities. They had made a series of wooden needles that looked much like large toothpicks. Each of them carried a handful of these wooden needles, and they also used the wood to create some wooden kunai to increase the amount of weapons they could use. This was to be their way of communicating the position of the enemy to each other while giving themselves a chance to change positions after each communication so as not to reveal their places to the enemies. If an enemy were spotted, they were to send a needle flying to the corresponding spot on their pebbled map to alert everyone else. From afar, the pebbled map would be hard to discern as an actual strategic point for at least some time into battle. This would work to their advantage.

The morning wore on without much incident. They heard the occasional crash or explosion in the distance, indicating to them that although things were quiet in their neck of the woods, the second part of this exam was alive and well in other parts of the forest. Even though the thick forest roof blocked out most of the sunlight and heat which kept the air in the forest relatively cool, Naruto could feel his palms a little sweaty from the anxiety he was feeling. He actually wished they had been one of the first attacked instead. He would much rather be in the midst of battle instead of sitting and torturously awaiting that imminent battle.

Sakura on the other hand was rather calm. Having to face Jounin was definitely going to be a challenge, but having the forest crawling with high class ninjas plus the Aburame family's flawless surveillance system meant Orochomaru would have no way of sneaking in the way he did last time. If any of the teams put even a toe out of line, they would be surrounded by some of the strongest Jounin in the world. It was knowledge that put her worries about an attack by Orochimaru or his Sound Ninjas at ease, at least for the time being.

It wasn't till a bit after noon when something happened. Naruto was sitting impatiently at his post. He had just finished another small portion of rations and drank some water. He consumed just enough to keep him going, but not too much to slow him down should he need to jump into action a second later.

Something suddenly caught his eye in the distance. It was a sight that both put him on alert and caused him to want to roll his eyes at the same time. About 25 meters away walking calmly between some trees towards their base was Kakashi sensei reading out of his usual Icha Icha Paradise (Flirting Paradise) book series written by none other than Ero Sennin. He was unscathed, his forehead protector covering his left eye and the bottom half of his face covered in mask as usual. His droopy, uncovered eye was scanning the pages opened in front of him. Calmly, he turned to another page and continued reading.

_Is he joking?_ Naruto thought, feeling kind of irritated at how lightly Kakashi sensei was taking the whole event. Then Naruto looked down at his group's pebbled map. Not a single wooden needle was there. He looked back up at Kakashi sensei. He was growing larger and larger as he came closer to their base, clear as day as far as Naruto could tell. The location he was coming from was Hinata's domain of surveillance.

_No way she could have missed him,_ Naruto thought.

On top of that, there was some overlap in Kiba and Shino's surveillance with Hinata's. Naruto knew there was a slim chance that all three of them could have missed him. Not to mention Sasuke with his Sharingan. At this distance, even Naruto was able to detect him coming towards them in clear view. So why hadn't anyone marked his presence on the map? Possibly everyone had all ready been taken out and Naruto was the only one left.

_No way. Even though the Jounin are incredible, all of us are strong enough to at least put up a good fight before being taken down…plus none of the traps have gone off…_

Naruto thought carefully. It was highly probable that Kakashi before him was just a decoy clone or Naruto was under the influence of Genjutsu. He tried to remember the Genjutsu counter technique that Hinata and Sakura had so painstakingly tried to teach him just a few weeks earlier. Putting his hands together in a seal, he whispered: "Genjutsu Kai (Illusion Technique Cancel)." When Naruto opened his eyes, Kakashi sensei had disappeared. He smiled triumphant, sure he had broken the Genjutsu spell.

"Oy."

Naruto's eyes grew wide as he turned to look at the source of the voice. Peeking into his hiding spot through the leaves and roots was Kakashi sensei's face. He had a pleasant smile on his face as if he had just stopped by to say hi and would be on his way quite soon.

Naruto made his decision for his next move in a split second and acted.

_

* * *

Note: AAAAARRRRRHHHHH! I think that's how I would have reacted seeing Kakashi sensei finding me in my hiding spot and knowing full well he was there for the sole purpose of thoroughly kicking my butt. I would just scream myself silly. I don't make a very good ninja. In fact, I think a platypus would make a better ninja than me. Anyways…please look forward to the next chapter! Kakashi vs. Naruto! FIGHTO!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Note: Haha, so the larger part of this was written while I was sitting in a three hour Random Ninjas band practice. And of course, they were playing many of the Naruto theme songs. Imagine how inspired I was writing a Naruto fanfic in the midst of live Naruto music Thanks for reading and sorry for the wait! As you probably guessed, figuring out this whole fight scene was quite a doozy. Hope you enjoy! (bonus poem at the end of this chapter, please check it out!)_

* * *

All The Difference 20

Brandishing the kunai that shot out from under his sleeve, the hidden chained kunai that Hinata had given to him, Naruto burst out of his hiding place breaking through some roots and ripping up some leaves in the process. But instead of coming out of his hiding place away from Kakashi sensei, he burst out right towards him in a full on frontal attack. Naruto realized number one priority was to find out whether or not this was the real Kakashi sensei. If it was, flying directly at him would be unexpected so it would give him at least a little element of surprise and hope for some back up from his group who were hopefully still perched safely in their respective locations.

Naruto watched as Kakashi sensei leaned back away from him but not fast enough, and Naruto saw his teacher's image dissipate and felt himself flying through empty air as he shot out of his hiding space. Naruto smiled.

_Time for Plan B,_ he thought.

In the distance, his attacker smiled and thought silently, _Hmh, he couldn't dispel the genjutsu so he muscled his way out of it._ _But now he's vulnerable and out in the open._

Hinata watched from her perch far above as Naruto burst out of his hiding spot. She had known that he would be unable to counter the Genjutsu of whoever was hunting them. The genjutsu had caused her to see her own teacher coming at her, flying from tree to tree through the canopy above. Whoever it was was extremely skilled at genjutsu, because they were able to at least mask their own presence flawlessly. But her byakuugan allowed her to easily recognize the supposed attack by her sensei as genjutsu and she was able to cancel at least that part of it with little effort. She had known that Naruto would have the hardest time out of everyone in their alliance group combating the genjutsu, and he had opted for the next best option. Hinata smiled knowingly.

Below, Naruto's smile mirrored Hinata's.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!" Naruto yelled out with his hands forming the proper seal. Around him poofed multiple solid clones of himself. Then, they all screamed in unison, bouncing Naruto's voice off of ever corner of forest.

"Oy! I'm not good with this genjutsu stuff! Come out and fight me like a man!"

The clones dispersed and started to use the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) to move erratically from location to location. All around in the forest were Narutos, flashing in and out of sight, running from spot to spot, flying from tree branch to tree branch. The night before during their preparations, Naruto had covered the forest area around their base with Jutsu-shiki (Jutsu formula) so that he could be afforded fast movement. With his clones, he was able to cover a huge area simultaneously. It was his way of mimicking the surveillance abilities of Team 8, though it was much less efficient as it drained up quite a lot of his chakra. One advantage he did have with his method was that he would most definitely be distracting to whoever it was Naruto hoped that his teammates were not compromised all ready, or else his current role as bait and distraction might all be for naught. Also, his method would drain his chakra too much depending on how long it lasted and he may not be able to face an enemy once he's found them.

Hinata was the first to see it. She had been watching Naruto's movements closely with her byakuugan. His distraction efforts were working, for she saw a flicker of an image of their assailant. In fact, she saw more than that.

She sent wooden needles flying to the rest of their group. They all had a small note etched into them, "Stay." It had been preplanned that Hinata, with her byakuugan abilities would act as the coordinator of everyone's movements. She stood atop her perch halfway up the tallest tree of their tangled island base like a master chess player preparing the next needles for communication. Though they had designed the needles to be hard to see or hear in flight, she could only use them sparingly less she give away her own location and the location of her peers. The next needles flew, but not to ninjas.

Sasuke, who had been waiting impatiently in his hiding place, suddenly gasped. Out of thin air, a thick mist was forming all around the area. He recognized it immediately. It was the Kiri Gakura no Jutsu (Hiding Mist Technique) that he had seen the late Momochi Zabuza use during his first major mission with Team 7. This would make things markedly more difficult for their team, blocking out their visuals. Before the thick mist rolled in, though, he had caught sight of the pebbled map that they had prepared, their miniature representation of the base area. There were two needles there meaning that there was not just one but two jounin, two high level ninjas hunting them. One was located only 50 meters to the north of their current location. The other was 100 meters south of their location. Their predators were strategically coming at them from opposite directions obviously aimed at spreading out their group to thin out their defenses.

As the mist rolled in thick, Hinata saw the bogey to the north closing in on them. Then she noticed that the byakuugan visual she had on both assailants begin to disappear. Naruto and his clones had ceased their frantic movement as the thick mists settled. With the distraction gone, the genjutsu user was regaining the ability to mask their positions again. In a split second, Hinata realized what needed to be done.

Quickly, before the signals disappeared completely from her sight, she marked the needles and sent them flying to the other genin. Sakura quickly picked up her needle and saw the symbol "11" and immediately moved out of her location towards the 11 o'clock direction. Kiba, Shino, and Sasuke received different numbers, though Sasuke's had a few more markings on his needle than the others that actually directed him to use one of his techniques. Above them, Hinata moved towards the same location that she had just ordered the rest of her group to head for while literally keeping an eye on everything that was going on. They sped towards it.

In the thick, Sakura hoped she was headed in a straight enough line to arrive at where ever it was Hinata was sending her. She didn't know when she was to stop, but she figured that she would see the purpose of Hinata's order soon enough. Then Sakura sensed it, the heavy genjutsu getting heavier by the minute. Hinata was sending her to the source.

"Kai (Cancel)," Sakura hissed, her hands forming a seal. Just as the words flew out of her mouth she heard Sasuke's voice.

"Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!"

A large dragon made of fire streamed out of Sasuke's mouth and flew through the air. A circular area of about 50 meters in diameter was suddenly engulfed in a ring of flames. Sakura watched with alert eyes as the mist around her burned off and she could clearly see Sasuke, Shino, Kiba…and one of the two Jounin who had been closing in on them. The four genin found themsleves standing in a perfect square with their target in the center. Hinata had calculated everything with geometric percision. Sakura recognized the thick locks of large, brown curls cascading over a body that had what looked like large bandages drapped across it. The Jounin's red eyes looked piercingly at them as the reflection of the flames that entrapped her danced upon her forehead protector.

_Damn, _Kurenai sensei thought to herself, angry at her accomplice in this attack for being so unreliable. They were supposed to break up the group of six genin into two groups of three for quicker defeat or at least attack together at full force. Knowing Hinata had probably orchestrated their movements, she found herself surrounded by five of the six genin, hardly odds in her favor considering their advanced abilities and their various specialized capabilities giving them endless strategic coordinations. These were genin that should have been chuunin, and some possibly even jounin, long ago.

"Gatsuga (Double Piercing Fang)!" Kiba and an Akamaru cloned as Kiba began the attack first at Kurenai sensei, their two bodies turned into razor spirals heading towards her in a deadly double spin.

Shino stretched out his arms in a large v-shape in front of him and Destruction Bugs began to flow out of his sleeves pouring over his hands like a black river. They headed towards his sensei, a menacing and spine-tingling mass.

Kiba and Akamaru missed their mark by a couple of meters and the Destruction Bugs suddenly broke away from their steady, unified stream into various directions.

Sakura realized Kurenai was disorienting the senses of the attackers. She was about to jump in, realizing that she would be the only one who could ward off the genjutsu and maintain her senses, especially with Kurenai distracted by the attacks of the others, but before Sakura could make her move, up from the trees above dropped Hinata. The silent genin landed in front of her sensei like a ghost.

To Kurenai, Hinata landed in front of her almost in slow motion. Hinata was practically in her face. She couldn't understand why her young, shy student had chosen to land so close to her. If she was to properly use the Juken, she would need a measure of distance in order to deliver full, effective strikes. Her red eyes opened wide in surprise and confusion and she stared straight and unwittingly into the pale eyes of Hinata. It was the last thing she would see for the rest of the day.

"Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun)!"

Kurenai's head was thrown back abruptly, as if she had been knocked right in the middle of her forehead, and the world around her turned black as her sight slipped away.

"Sakura! Disable her!"

Just as soon as Hinata called out to Sakura, she called out her own move.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho (Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)!"

In darkness, Kurenai had little time to figure out what had happened to her sight and she was helpless as each of her 64 Tenketsu (chakra holes) were struck twice, blocking them off and preventing her from using her chakra. Next she felt what seemed like the gentle touches of what she guessed was Sakura's hands. She gasped and realized that each gentle touch was disabling physical control of a part of her body. She felt her limbs falling loose and she could no longer control their movements. She slumped to the ground and fell on her side like a stringed puppet who's motion-giving strands had all been cut.

Things suddenly quieted down. The sound of the fire around her subsided and the rustling of the Destruction Bugs dimished. Through the ground, she felt vibrations of footsteps coming toward her as she lay there helpless. She felt herself surrounded by the pressence of the genin group that had just defeated her.

"Gomenasai, sensei," Hinata's soft voice reached her ears and she felt herself gently lifted in the arms of Shino and Kiba.

"Ie (no), Hinata, you all did very well. I didn't know you had all grown this much. I'm surprised, proud, and inspired," Kurenai sensei said with a pleased smile. Though her red eyes stared unseeing, they sparkled with the joy of a teacher witnessing the fruits of her hard work.

Shino broke the heartwarming moment with his calculating voice.

"Someone should stay with Kurenai sensei and make sure she's safe."

"Akamaru and I can do that," Kiba offered. His furry companioned let out a bark of agreement.

"I'll be fine here," Kurenai said, "You're going to need all the power you can get with your next opponent."

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked quickly.

Kurenai turned a sly smile towards the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"I'll let you find that out for yourself."

* * *

When the mist had engulfed them all, Naruto and his clones had stopped their movements. They all squatted down and caught their breath, conserving energy and quieting their senses. With the thick mists, Naruto was practically blind now, barely able to see a few inches in front of his face. It felt like he was covered in a large, fluffy white blanket.

Staring blankly into the whiteness, Naruto listened, sniffed, and felt the way he had when he was training blindfolded and when Hinata had blinded him using the Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun).

Suddenly, he sensed it. Simultaneously in front of his eyes, he saw a whiff of mist swirled in front of him faster than the rest of the thick cloud, showing that it had been disturbed.

"Sennen Goroshi (One Thouse Years of Death—aka, Thousand Years of Pain)!"

Naruto heard the sound of Kakashi Sensei's voice behind him.

Kakashi struck Naruto the same way he did during their first training session together. Index fingers together pointed forward like a gun right into Naruto's butt. He watched the orange, yellow, and black mass of his student fly up into the air. Then he heard the 'poof' sound as the clone he had just struck disappeared from the attack.

"Ah? Kage Bunshin desu ka?" Kakashi sensei said loudly in a sort of amused puzzlement as he cocked his head and scratched it with a single index finger.

At that moment, the ground rumbled and roots shot out of the earth and wrapped tightly around his legs. He was immobilized. Then came an incoming barrage of flying wooden and metallic kunai and shuriken, and even rocks and chunks of wood form the forest floor. It was as if Naruto was flinging everything he could at Kakashi sensei. The projectiles hit their mark, cutting and bruising up their target. Then the sound of a sharp 'poof' filled the air, and the caught and injured Kakashi sensei disappeared to reveal a large block of tree wood wrapped in roots and cut up badly from the onslaught.

_Che, Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique)_…Naruto thought quietly to himself. He was sure now that this Kakashi sensei was no genjutsu figment of his imagination. The rolling mist obviously a sharingan copied technique from their run in with Momochi Zabuza on their first major mission, the Thousand Years of Pain Kakashi's favorite Naruto humiliation move, and then Kawarimi one of first tricks he used on Naruto. Naruto's face scrunched up slightly in irritation; he could tell that Kakashi sensei was toying with him.

He crouched again in the blinding white, sharpening his senses to try to determine where Kakashi sensei could be located. He felt something, some vibration in the ground, but he couldn't quite determine the direction the vibrations were coming from.

_It's like it's coming from right under me…_Naruto's eyes grew wide at the end of this thought as he realized something. Immediately he pounced from the spot he was at, and just as he left that piece of ground, it exploded open, the earth breaking apart and flying up into the air as a pack of Ninken (Ninja Dogs) of all sizes and shapes burst out of the forest floor. If he hadn't moved, he would have easily been caught in the fangs of the Ninken and immediately immobilized.

Naruto barely caught site of the canines before he quickly broke into a run with the dogs tight on his heels. All of his clones began to gather around him and soon he was lost in a flock of his own clones. It was useless to try to divert them with multiple clones; the Ninken's expertise was tracking; they would be able to easily tell by smell alone which one of him was the real Naruto. He realized that for now, by mixing in with the rest of his clones, he would at least confuse them a little.

One by one and purposefully delayed, his clones turned around and then tackled and pinned down dog after dog. The clones wouldn't hold for long, but Naruto knew it would at least scatter them and give him a chance to get away to regroup for when they came after him. He used the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) again to speed up his movement foreward. Just as he made the transportation foreward, he felt something pull on his forehead protetctor. It was as if someone had grabbed a hold of the loose cloth hanging off the knot that held his Konoha symbol in place on his forehead and gave it a little tug. It was just a hard enough pull for him to feel it, but not enough to pull his forehead protector off his head.

When he finished his transportation, he turned around quickly to see what it was that had pulled on his forehead protector. With one hand coming up to the back of his head to feel the knot, he looked frantically behind him for something. Then he heard the sound of a howl—a tiny one, but one that echoed through the forest nonetheless. He turned and found himself staring into a familiar little face.

"Pakkun!"

"Yo. Naruto," the small pug Ninken held up a paw in greeting.

Without so much as a hi, Naruto teleported to the next location, but this time, instead of a light tug on his forehead protector, he felt a strong grip on the shoulder of his jacket. Before he had even fully arrived at his new location, his hand had all ready come up to his zipper and begun pulling it down. He began to quickly slip out of his jacket, but as his arms came out of their sleeves, his jacket was twisted around and he soon found his arms tied behind his back by his own jacket.

Naruto's jacket suddenly exploded in shreds, a burst of Hidden Kunai chakra knives flying out of his arms and he jumped forward, turning around to face his opponent. He realized it would be useless to transport away again. He'd only end up a sitting duck waiting to be attacked again, tracked down by Ninken. He'd much rather be fighting head on.

When he turned around, he realized that he was only looking again into the blinding, thick white mist that still enveloped the forest. Naruto began to take a deep breath in preparation for the next attack but it was cut short. Kakashi sensei seemed to materialize out of the mist itself right in front of Naruto.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique)," Kakashi said in an infuriatingly monotone voice, a tone that expressed without words that he was completely in control here and even a little bored with the whole ordeal.

Naruto found himself unwillingly frozen in place. He had loss his movement.

He watched helplessly as Kakashi sensei looked down at him with his one, uncovered droopy eye and reached a hand calmly down into his utility pack pulling out a single, deadly kunai. Kakashi walked around Naruto as if sizing up how his student had grown. Unable to turn his head to follow the movement of his sensei, Naruto listened painstakingly to the sound of his footsteps as Kakashi circled his frozen body. He came back around front and looked down at Naruto with little interest. The kunai he had pulled out was grasped firmly by the handle in a fist with the blade pointed downward, and Kakashi raised the weapon up preparing to strike down on his yellow-headed student. Naruto braced for the hit.

The kunai came down fast and hard at Naruto, but instead of piercing into his flesh and drawing blood, a sharp sound of what seemed like metal hitting metal rang through the air and Kakashi sensei's kunai was deflected from hitting its target even though he stood right in front of Naruto.

"Oh?" Kakashi said slightly amused. He looked around, sniffed the air slightly, listened intently for a moment, taking his sweet time as he surveyed the vicinity for another person. Satisfied that they were alone, he raised the kunai again in the same striking motion and sent it flying again down at his student. Again, the kunai was deflected with the same metallic sound of blade hitting blade.

He looked down into Naruto's face, his growing student's blue eyes glaring defiantly back at him. In return, Kakashi had the faintest trace of a smile expressed in his one droopy eye. He was pleased to see that even in this paralyzed state, Naruto didn't lose his wits and was still using some sort of chakra technique to deflect the attacks. Kakashi could tell this technique could not be easily copied by a Sharingan user because it required special training in chakra molding. He brought the kunai down on Naruto again a few more times just for fun and was thoroughly amused by the steady metallic sound that resulted from each strike.

Naruto, on the other hand, was rather livid at his sensei's playful and laid back manner. He took it as an insult to his abilities as a ninja. He decided it was time to go on the offensive.

"aaaaaAAAAHHHR!" Naruto growled as he made an effort to move his body. Slowly and painfully he raised one foot and moved it foreword to take a step towards his sensei. Kakakashi's one revealed eye grew wide with interest. Being able to make any movement after the Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique) was no easy task.

Though he barely took half a step foreward, Naruto brought his foot down with a stomp.

"Hidden Kunai!" he yelled out and a barrage of invisible chakra knives flew at his silver-haired sensei.

The blades cut through the Jounin's vest and uniform, slashing at every part of his body. With a 'poof', Kakashi disappeared. There was mangled wooden block in the place of his body this time.

_Arh, a clone,_ Naruto thought in frustration. At the same time, he was pleased to find that Kakashi had taken him seriously enough to use a clone as a cautionary measure.

He heard a harmony of faint whistling sounds.

A barrage of shuriken and Kunai flew at him from every direction, and Naruto barely had time to react. Around his body formed a perfect blue sphere of chakra. The weapons were deflected by the solid chakra shield and fell harmlessly to the ground around him.

Naruto's mind raced. He had used up a lot of chakra all ready. He had great stamina, but executing so many high chakra demand techniques today was quickly depleting his supply, and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

He noticed something coming at him from above, and he braced for another attack. As he prepared to create another chakra shield, Hinata dropped down right in front of him. She looked at him with an expression of both worry and urgency as she placed her hands one over another on his chest. They glowed with blue chakra and slowly, Naruto began to regain control over all of his movements again. Before Naruto was fully recovered though, he heard the sound of Sasuke's voice nearby somewhere in the thick, blinding mist.

"Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!"

Again the mist was burned away by the large dragon of fire that flew out of Sasuke's mouth and drew a wide sphere. As the white was lifted, Naruto saw that he stood in a clearing of forest with 6 Kakashis surrounding him in a wide circle. Outside of that circle was a far reaching burning wall of flames that held the white mist at bay. Inside that circle was Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, and Sakura positioned protectively around Naruto.

"Oi, you guys are late," Naruto laughed.

"I'd say we were just on time," Sasuke threw him a quick smile and looked quickly back at the Kakashi that stood nearest to him.

"Not like I needed your help or anything," Naruto smiled.

"I'm sure," Sakura laughed.

"Actually, Naruto was doing quite well," the sound of multiple Kakashi voices sounded eerie and foreboding, "but even with you all here, you're no match for me."

The six genin flinched at the taunt. Naruto looked at Hinata with the faintest hint of a question on his face and she responded with a slight shake of her head.

"Hey, don't start talking till after we've beaten you!" With that, Naruto launched forward and the rest of his group followed suit. Both Hinata and Naruto let loose the chained kunai on their wrists readied for striking.

The quiet forest clearing was suddenly a chaotic battle field, the still air now filled with the battle cries of the young Konoha genin and the sounds of metal clashing against metal.

Hinata attacked with her Fuchin Hana Juken (Floating Flower Gentle Fist).

Destruction bugs streamed in every direction out of Shino's body, flying in at Kakashis left and right.

Akamaru turned into a clone of Kiba, and they were flying all over using the Gatsuga (Double Piercing Fang).

Giant shurikens sliced through the air as Sasuke used the Kage Shuriken no Jutsu (Shadow Shuriken Technique).

Sakura was causing craters in the ground and destroying trees with the Tsutenkyaku (Painful Sky Leg) she'd learned from Tsunade.

Low on chakra but high in spirits, Naruto was able to muster up enough strength to create a few clones and carry out the Uzumaki Naruto Rendan (Uzumaki Naruto Combo).

All the while the Kakashi clones dodged the attacks and was displaying quite clearly that the Sennen Goroshi (One Thousand Years of Death/Pain) wasn't the only taijitsu he knew. Hidden in the foliage above, the real Kakashi watched the ensuing conflict below. His mask lifted and his sharingan eye activated, he studied each of their movements carefully one at a time both as teacher admiring the abilities of his students and as a ninja gathering data on his opponents.

"It's almost over now," he said in a low voice that wasn't audible given the raucous below him.

One by one, his clones were defeated. The gennin were demonstrating their strength individually as well as their ability to coordinate their attacks. Above all, Naruto and Hinata worked the best together, a testament to all the time they spent training together for the past couple of years. They covered for each other's weaknesses and utilized each other's strength in a perfect symphony of strategy. The Kakashi clones they fought were the first to fall, and they quickly moved on to assist the others.

Kakashi watched solemnly as the last of his clones were defeated, and the young Hyuuga girl, breathing hard from her efforts, looked straight up at him with her pale eyes.

Below, Hinata's peers looked at her and followed her gaze. They could see nothing but branches and leaves in the direction she stared but they knew full well that that was where the real Kakashi sensei hid.

Kakashi jumped into clear view on the trunk of the tallest tree in the area. He stood on the wooden surface, his body parrallel to the ground and perpendicular to the tree, molding chakra at his feet to hold himself in such an unnatural position. Team 7 and Team 8 looked up at the legendary Kopi Ninja no Kakashi as he stood at the top of the high tree and looked down at them with both eyes, one glowing ominously red with the rare and sought after sharingan.

"I suppose it's time for me to get serious," Kakashi said dramatically with a smug air in the tone of his voice.

The genin were still catching their breath, but the clear sound of his voice caused them to brace themselves for the next attack.

Kakashi sunk into a partial horse stance on the side of the tree. His left hand came up and grasped the elbow joint of his right arm. He lowered his right hand to hang down between his knees. Even from far away, the genin could see the streaks of electricity that were beginning to cover Kakashi sensei's right hand, as if he held an entire lightening storm in the palm of his hand. His hand grew brighter and brighter, the streaks of electricity grew longer and reached further out zapping loose a few leaves off of the branches surrounding him. The piercing sensation of the sound of a thousand birds crying slowly and ominously grew louder.

"Raikiri (Lightening Blade)."

The young ninjas breathed sharply. This was Kakashi's own specially developed technique, the legendary technique that could cut through lightening itself.

Sasuke stared at his teacher with his teeth gritting tightly together. His Chidori was only a weaker version of this technique. He had yet to fully master the legendary Raikiri. Nonetheless, he took the same pose as Kakashi and began to create his own cry of a thousand birds.

The others took his signal. Naruto held out an open palmed hand and a rasengan sphere formed, a blue ball of swirling chakra whirling like an angry tornado contained in too small a space.

Hinata began to mold a series of solid chakra froms outside her own body while taking the pose for the Fuchin Hana Juken (Floating Flower Gentle Fist). Flexibility and fluidity would be the best way to attack the straight, undeviating style of the Raikiri.

Sakura prepared for a high level genjutsu attack, knowing it would be the best way to divert Kakashi's attack from where ever it would be aimed at. Though he had his sharingan activated, he would be too absorbed in the technique and distracted by the other attacks to ward off all the effects of a heavy genjutsu attack.

Shino prepared his Destruction Bugs for a Mushi Kabe no Jutsu (Bug Wall Technique), ready to add formidable defense to whoever would need it against Kakashi's attack.

Kiba and Akamaru prepared for the Jinju Konbi Henge: Sotoro (Man Beast Combination Tranformation: Double-Headed Wolf).

The cry of a single predator bird pierced through the silent sky.

The piercing sound of Kakashi's Raikiri began to fade away. He jumped out of the tree down to the forest floor in front of the young ninjas who stood with minds, bodies, and chakras charged and ready for an attack. They gave him a quizzical look.

Kakashi sensei held up his hand and flashed them a two fingered peace sign.

"Pass."

Suddenly, they realized that the cry of the predator bird must be a signal that the exam was over, that 70 of the original examinees had been defeated and failed out, and that they had made the top 30 cut off line.

Just as they began to let their guard down and relax their prepared attacks, they heard a scream.

"NNNNNNAAAAANNIIIIII (WWWWHHHHAATTT)!" Naruto's voice filled the forest air with cry disappointment. He broke into a full force run at Kakashi sensei, his rasengan swirling furious in his right hand.

"THAT'S NOT GOING TO STOP ME FROM KICKING YOUR BUTT YOU STUCK UP JERK!" Naruto yelled as he approached a Kakashi that stood calmly despite the oncoming attack, his sharingan eye covered again by the metallic forehead protector, his droopy eye staring uninterested an his oncoming student. This infuriated Naruto even more. He began to bring his right hand forward, intending to smash the ball of chakra right into his sensei's torso.

Just as the deadly rasengan was about to hit Kakashi, the Kopi Ninja's hand came up in a simple motion and grabbed Naruto's rasengan hand by the wrist, pinching it in a way that cut off the majority of the chakra flow there, and twisting it in a way that torked Naruto's body sideways and sent him crashing into the ground next to him.

"How many times have I stopped your Rasengan attack like that? Number 1, don't lose your cool in a battle. Number 2, figure out how you're going to counter this deflect or else your fancy Rasengan is completeloy useless," Kakashi sensei lectured.

Naruto had just propped himself up and was about to send a fist up into his teacher's face when he felt a hand on his spikey head. He looked up into the smiling face of his sensei, the same one he was just about to pummel a moment earlier. It was Kakashi's hand that was placed affectionately on his head the way a father would do to his young son.

"Yoku dekimashita (Well done), Naruto. I didn't know you had improved this much. I'm very impressed," Kakashi sensei said.

Naruto's face first looked at him in surprise, then it melted into a big fat smile.

"SOU, sou, I am great aren't I? Ah Hahahaha, heeheheeheeehe…" Naruto laughed with a face full of self-satisfaction.

The other genin looked on at first stunned, then they started one by one breaking out into smiles.

"Wasn't Naruto just calling Kakashi sensei stuck up?" Hinata said as she started to laugh.

"Sou, he's so easy to manipulate," Sakura said and started laughing as well. Though she knew Kakashi's words were genuine and sincere, she knew also that they were meant to calm the hot-headed Naruto down. The rest of them broke out in laughter both at Naruto's thick-headedness and in joy and relief at passing the first part of the Chuunin exams. The sounds of their laughter brought some cheer to what was otherwise a scene of devastation caused by their battle. It rang through the Konoha sky and floated over the tree tops, a resounding symbol of the true strength of Konoha.

_

* * *

Note: Ah, that was tough but fun! This is great practice for my original novels which will have lots of action. I hope you enjoyed! No cliffhanger in this one, ne? Apologies for delays in the future. I have another major project to attend to, but rest assured the next chapter will be up ASAP, and I will not abandon this story. Thank you for reading! Coming up next, 2nd Part Chuunin exam! Please look forward to it!_

* * *

BONUS POEM_ – I couldn't find a place for this on fanfiction net so I thought I share it here. It's a poem inspired by "Blood: The Last Vampire" the movie about the main character Saya. Hope you likes!_

**Saya**

step after step

the blood of my kindred

dripping off my blade

step after step

the fury inside me

an emptiness and rage

step after step

bred to murder

a soldier from my birth

step after step

the cycle anew

turns its ugly head

step after step

where can I go

no haven for my soul

step after step

returning to hell

is all that I've ever known


	21. Chapter 21

_Note: I'm back! So sorry for the delay everyone. Like last time, all my writing chakra was focused on a major project. I do hope that at least part of new update was worth the wait. Thank you for continuing to read this story even though I have not been able to update as frequently as I used to. I'm happy to say my next big project shouldn't be for a long while so hopefully I'll be able to finish this fanfic before then (estimate of maybe 5-10 more chapters?). Many thanks to all my readers again!_

* * *

All The Difference 21

The young Konoha ninjas walked through the forest tired but happy to have passed their test. Kakashi sensei led the way and Kurenai sensei was being watched over carefully by her own team. She still had not regained sight and would not for at least a day. However, Sakura had reversed the effects of her paralyzing attack and Kurenai could walk on her own now.

They were chatting cheerfully and the ambience about the group was rather carefree. Then they came upon a scene that made them all stop in their tracks. The lush forest suddenly transitioned into blackened scorched landscape. A few small fires burned here and there adding a quiet and eerie crackle to the otherwise silent scene of devastation.

"What happened here?" Sakura thought out loud.

"It looks like a lightening storm struck here," Shino added.

"It did," Kakashi sensei said solemnly.

The genin looked at Kakashi sensei, expecting more explanation.

"I suppose," the Konoha jounin began, "you should know that you're the only Konoha teams that passed the first part of this Chuunin exam."

All of their young jaws simultaneously dropped incredulously, and their thoughts immediately went to their friends. It was incomprehensible to them that their friends could have been beaten. They knew better than anyone else how strong their friends had become.

"NO WAY! Chouji and Neji destroyed some of Orochimaru's top henchmen! No way some puny genin from another village could stand a chance against them!" Naruto began in protest. His peers nodded in agreement.

"Their opponents where not your average genin," Kakashi said and gave Naruto a significant look. Naruto puzzled over this, wondering what Kakashi meant by that look.

They passed through the significantly large area of scorched landscape in silence, the crackling sound of the small burning fires growing more irritating by the second. Their eyes surveyed the area trying to make sense of what happened here. It simply looked like a massive thunderstorm concentrated all of its strikes in one place. It made no sense whatsoever.

"Chouji and Neji's teams did not even make it through the first day," Kakashi added. There was another moment of silent disbelief.

"Are they okay?" Hinata's timid and worried voice broke through the stillness.

"They are…stable," Kakashi chose his words carefully.

Naruto's ears and eyes perked up as understanding and worry sunk into him.

"Where are they right now?" he asked with earnest.

"At the hospital," Kakashi responded.

The genin looked at each other, a franticness shared in all of their eyes. They were worried, very worried for the well-being of their friends. Kakashi turned around and saw their concerned expressions.

"If you would like, you may go off to the hospital ahead of us. I will watch over Kurenai sensei," Kakashi offered.

"Don't worry about me, go on," Kurenai said again.

With a respectful nod of the head to their two sensei, the young ninja were quickly off on their way to the hospital. As they sped through the forest, they passed by another strange scene. Another large chunk of the forest was left in a strange state—this time it looked like the area had been attacked by some sort of enormous deluge. The shrubs and trees were bent over and broken. Some were uprooted and everything was dripping with and soaked in water. The ground was all wet mud that clung to everything. The genin exchanged some grave looks and continued along their way. Something extraordinary had happened at this first part of the Chuunin exams, and they intended to find out what.

* * *

They entered one of the large, multi-patient care rooms at the hospital. Inside they found six different beds occupied by their six friends. Rock, Neji, and Tenten were situated in a row along one side of the room while Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji were situated along the opposite wall. A single nurse was moving from bedside to bedside taking records on a clipboard she held in her hands.

"Akane-san, how are they?" Sakura asked the nurse she had worked with before.

"They're all right. Much better than yesterday when they were brought in in critical condition. Thanks to Hokage-sama and Shizune-san, they were able to make it through the worst of it. Right now they're stable and healing."

Akane-san jotted down a few more notes and then clipped the pen onto the clipboard.

"They just need to rest. I'll leave them to you for now, Sakura-chan. Knowing you're here means I can rest assured they'll be in good hands if anything should happen. I'll be back in a little while. Excuse me," Akane-san nodded politely to the rest of Sakura's entourage and they all nodded back politely with a few grateful thank yous.

Almost as soon as the door shut behind the nurse, they heard a pained, breathless voice beckoning to them.

"Na…ru…to…" the voice pleaded.

They looked around the room from bed to bed, trying to determine the source of the barely audible voice.

"Neji-oniisan!" Hinata's quiet voice quickly signaled to the others where the breathless call had come from. They quickly gathered around his bed.

Neji's eyes were opened half halfway, exposing only part of his clear, pupil-less eyes, as if it was too much effort to open them all the way. Through a fatigued expression he surveyed the crowd that had encircled his bed. He saw that his friends were worn from the two-day long ordeal, dirty and a bit tattered from the battles, but they were still strong, healthy, and ready for more. Each of them looked down upon him with worry in their eyes and concern in their expressions.

"You…you all passed?"

They nodded in response, almost in passing remembrance of their recent accomplishment because their hearts and minds were preoccupied now with the well-being of their comrades.

A happy though weak smile spread across Neji's face and he heaved a sigh of relief. Then his face turned to worry.

"Kiwotsukete (Be careful)," Neji warned in his exhausted voice, "there are some strange opponents this year…the one who beat us…and another who beat Shikamaru's team…two very strange…like…"

"You shouldn't talk anymore, Neji. You should rest…" Sakura began to cut Neji off.

"No…you need to prepare…one controls water…the other…the one we…murderous intent…controls lightening…" Neji continued stubbornly, fighting the white haze of unconsciousness that was washing over his exhausted mind.

"They were…like Gaara…like you…" Neji said, looking over straight into Naruto's eyes. Naruto never felt Neji's pale, byakuugan eyes see straight through him the way they did now. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"Somehow…chakra…like you…" Neji was able to muster with the last bit of his strength before he fell back asleep. Naruto looked down at Neji's now unconscious face and a look of concurrent horror and solemnity grew in his eyes as he realized what it was that Neji meant.

* * *

Kakashi sensei walked up to the hospital room that currently housed 6 of Konoha's finest genin. He looked through the small glass window situated in the middle of the door and saw that there were in fact 12 of them in there. He opened the door up to a room that was lit only with the growing light of dawn that streamed timidly into white, sanitary room.

"Ma…" Kakashi sighed with a slight shake of the head and an affectionate smile under his perpetual mask. He had never seen a more unified group of Konoha ninjas, and he knew that was saying a lot for unity was one of Konohagakure's cornerstones. The six injured ninja lay asleep in their respective beds, and the other half of the Konoha dozen were sprawled across couch, chair, and sheet covered floor trying to make the best of their sleeping situation. Despite their seemingly uncomfortable positions, they slept soundly, obviously exhausted from the previous two days of intense challenges. Apparently, even in their tired state, they had been unwilling to leave the sides of their fallen friends.

"Ano…sumimasen (excuse me)," a voice behind Kakashi asked politely.

Kakashi turned around to see that behind him in the busy morning hospital hallway was lined up a couple of nurses with two carts full of food trays. He stepped aside with a pleasant smile in his one exposed eye and allowed the two nurses to go in. At a glance, he counted twelve trays of food and smiled to himself again.

As the light metallic sounds of the carts and the aromas of the freshly cooked foods filled the room, the young ninjas began to stir from their sleep. Kakashi was pleased to see that even the injured nins of Team Gai and Team Asuma were rubbing the sleep away form their eyes. The nurses assisted them in sitting up with earnest help from the uninjured genin, propping each one of them up on a stack of newly fluffed white pillows and placing the metallic tray holder in front of each of them over their laps. Kakashi watched the scene from his spot by the door leaning against its frame. The food was served, a delicate assortment of steaming fried fish, cold fresh seaweed, and pickled vegetables with bowls of plump white rice.

"Kakashi-sensei, would you like some breakfast as well?" Akane-san offered as she and her coworker were about to leave.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Kakashi responded appreciatively and watched the two nurses leave.

"Ohayou, Kakashi sensei," the genin said in a chorus of overlapping young voices.

"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto's voice pierced cheerfully above the crowd.

"Shhhh! Naruto! You're too loud!" Sakura admonished him with a severe look as she nodded towards their friends in the hospital beds.

With only the slightest lowering of his volume (and another angry look from Sakura), Naruto continued on with his thought.

"I was really great yesterday wasn't I?" Naruto fished for a compliment shamelessly with a wide toothy grin across his face. Sakura and Sasuke rolled their eyes and Hinata and the rest of the genin chuckled with a shake of their head as they ate.

"Sou, sou, you did well," Kakashi began with a cheerful smile in his eye, but his face soon became serious as he added, "but you have some potential formidable opponents coming up."

Naruto's smile also faded as he remembered the sobering look that Kakashi had given him yesterday and Neji's ominous warning.

_Like you_…Neji's voice echoed in his mind.

"It's possible none of you will face them during the remainder of the Chuunin exams, but even if you don't, they are two opponents you must watch out for even after the Chuunin exams," Kakashi continued. His students and their peers listened intently with a pause in their breakfast.

"Chingis Lei from Kumogakure no Sato (Hidden Cloud Village) and Lluvia from Amegakure no Sato (Hidden Rain Village). Kumogakure nins specialize primarily in electric attacks, and Amegakure nins specialize in water attacks. But these two individuals, as you have probably figured out on your own, are not your average genin."

Kakashi turned to Naruto and gave him another meaningful look. Naruto looked away for a moment, but his eyes were called back to look upon his sensei as Kakashi spoke.

"Naruto, I think it's time to tell everyone," Kakashi said somberly to his student, then changed to a lighter tone, "Oh, look at the time, I've got to report in to Hokage-sama. It's good to see you're all doing well. The next part of the Chuunin Exam starts tomorrow morning at the front gate of Konoha. There are not many candidates left, but there are still too many for the final battles. So it will be an individually based elimination round. Rest up for it. Ja, matane (see you later)."

With that, Kakashi closed the hospital door behind him. The young nin looked over at Naruto expectantly, but he had quickly busied himself with finishing his breakfast and they could tell from the intense look in his eyes that he was also busy figuring out something in his head. They also saw that Hinata was throwing Naruto worried and knowing glances. They decided that Naruto would say what he had to say when he was ready and went back to finishing their breakfasts as well.

Soon they were finished with their food, and when the door closed behind the nurses who had cleared away their trays, Naruto finally spoke. He decided that for the safety of his friends, he had to tell them.

"On the day I graduated from the Academy," Naruto started without pause, as if he had resolved to do something he had wanted to do for a long time, "I found out something about myself."

He looked up into the eyes of his friends, wondering deep in the recesses of his mind, whether they would still be his friends after they knew what he was. Hinata's encouraging face gave him courage to continue on.

"I found out that I was a Jinchuriki, a container for a demon. I found out," Naruto placed a hand on his stomach and felt the entity inside him stirring and listening in on the happenings outside, "that a demon called Kyubi was sealed inside my body by Yondaime. The same demon that killed countless Konoha Nin…like Iruka sensei's parents."

The eyes of his friends grew wide in understanding. They had all heard about the terrifying Kyubi and how it had threatened Konoha with destruction. Suddenly, pieces of unexplained information began to fall into place for them.

"Then the red chakra…" Neji began.

"Your eyes changing to yellow…" Sasuke thought out loud.

Chouji and Shikamaru exchanged a look, and Chouji said,

"In the hallway outside the Hokage-sama's office…"

Naruto nodded, his eyes deflected just enough to not be looking straight into theirs.

Neji saw the uncharacteristic uncertainty in Naruto's movements and facial expressions, not at all like the sure-footed, iron-willed Naruto he had fought against at the last Chuunin exam. Neji smiled broadly as he remembered something.

"So, your inner demon, ne?"

Naruto looked up into his friend's smiling face and then realized that everyone was smiling.

"Dang, I knew Yondaime was awesome, but I didn't know he was that awesome," Kiba said, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back on his chair thoughtfully, pushing it up on its back two legs.

"Hm, in one stroke, he was able to rid Konoha of its greatest threat while concomitantly harnessing the power of the most powerful of the tailed-demons for Konoha," Shino analyzed out loud.

"Kyubi really is the most powerful one?" Naruto said, his ears perked up to the news.

_See, I told you so,_ Kyubi snorted deep inside him.

"Yes, legend has it that there are nine different tailed demons, purportedly the most powerful creatures in existence," Shino explained knowledgeably.

"Wait," Sasuke said, realizing something, "so, Gaara is…"

"Gaara must also be a Jinchuriki," Sakura finished, remembering along with Sasuke that day long ago when they fought Gaara in the forest with Naruto.

"Hm, yes, the Ichibi no Shukaku (One-tailed Shukaku), of course, why didn't I make the connection before," Shino spoke from behind his high collar.

"So the one we fought might be another Jinchuriki," Tenten figured.

"Yes, that would explain his strange chakra," Neji added.

"Yeah, if you hadn't extended your Hakkesho Kaiten (Heavenly Spin) to us, we would have been dead," Rock Lee said solemnly.

Neji shook his head, then gave Naruto a poignant look.

"Naruto, the one who attacked us was more like Gaara. He had a murderous intent in his eyes. The Hakkesho Kaiten was enough to just barely save our lives, but I think he left us for dead. If he had known we were still alive, he would've finished the job," Neji said seriously.

"Yeah, he had really, really cold eyes," Tenten added, "like he hasn't known anything but killing. It wasn't like he was angry or hateful, just a cold killing machine. Almost like he had no emotions."

"His teammates aren't anything to worry about," Rock Lee added, "We took them out easy in the first few minutes of meeting them. It was that one, Chinggis Lei I think, he stood back and watched, as if he were just waiting to finish cleaning up after his teammates messed up."

"The same goes for the one who attacked us," Ino said and everyone turned their attention to her. "Her two teammates went down easy, but she cleaned us out with one strike."

"But she doesn't seem like she's like that other guy, this Lluvia girl. She could have killed us, but she just knocked us out," Chouji said.

"AND half drowned us, don't forget," Shikamaru spat out.

"Yeah, she did some crazy technique where it was like out of no where a tsunami hit us," Chouji admitted.

"I think she was trying to prove the strength of her village," Ino added thoughtfully, "Remember how proud she was? 'Now I will show you the strength of the Amegakure,' and then SPLASH! We were wiped out."

"That Chingis Lei guy didn't say a thing, he just started attacking," Tenten responded.

As Naruto listened intently to the ongoing discussion, he suddenly realized something. None of them had shunned him. None of them were giving him disgusted looks or whispering behind hands about him. They spoke openly and analytically, engrossed in the conversation about their potential opponents.

"Well, as Kakashi sensei said, tomorrow's an individual elimination round, and then there's the final battles. It's possible none of us will have to go against Chingis Lei of Amegakure or Lluvia of Kumogakure," Shino said.

"Yes, but if they are enemies of Konoha, that would be difficult," Sasuke said, "we have to be prepared to fight them even if it isn't in the Chuunin exams."

Everyone nodded gravely to this.

"DAIJOBU mina! (No problem everyone!) Remember? We've got the strongest tailed demon on our side!" Kiba said throwing a friendly arm around Naruto.

"Sou, sou, Kyubi-chan is really dependable," Hinata said quietly.

"Kyubi…CHAN?" a number of her friends said out loud in disbelief.

Hinata responded simply with a cheerful smile and nod.

"SOU! Naruto! Tell Kyubi-chan that we're counting on him!" Kiba continued.

Naruto suddenly burst out laughing just a hair shy of hysterically, a thin stream of tears forming at the edges of his eyes.

"What is it?" Kiba asked, a smile creeping up the corner of his mouth. Naruto's mirth was contagious.

Naruto continued to laugh as he heard the raging demon inside him stomping around like an angry toddler. Wiping his eyes a bit, he explained.

"Nothing, it's just that he hates being called Kyubi-chan. He's raging on right now about how he's the most destructive, horrible, scariest demon ever, but he just sounds like a really angry baby fox."

Naruto's peers laughed, imagining in their heads a very cross chibi-fox with nine tails stomping around and growling. They found the image very amusing. The Kyubi demon growled indignantly inside, but it had to hide it's snout under a paw to hold back a smile that was creeping across its face. Naruto laughed on, relieved that his friends were still his friends and glad that he no longer had to carry the burden of silence about his special condition. He felt that the friends that sat around the room, that recognized him today in a way he had never thought they would, now genuinely and whole heartedly carried the burden of the Jinchuriki along with him.

* * *

"Okay, okay, come on, gather around," Kakashi said half-heartedly, as if he were taking care of some boring paperwork.

"The second part of the Chuunin exam is simple enough," Kakashi began. The 20 some candidates walked closer to the gate atop of which stood the famous Copy Cat Ninja with an entourage of Ninken (Ninja dogs) lined up on either side of him.

The six remaining Konoha nin had spent the morning glancing over at the two Jinchuriki from Amegakure and Kumogakure and giving each other meaningful looks. Meanwhile, the two objects of their attention had made no note of them. Fitting the profile that their fellow Konoha genin had painted for them, Lluvia stood proudly at the fore of her three-person team, with and air of confidence that she would win the title of Chunin and prove to everyone that she was a formidable ninja and that her village shouldn't be regarded lightly. Chinggis stood cold and aloof as if he were a lifeless robot that simply waited for the next order to be transmitted to his soulless body.

"As you all must obviously have figured out, ninjas need to be…well, ninja. You must have to ability to avoid being detected when in enemy territory. Thus today's elimination exercise, the second part of this Chuunin exam, will test your ability to stay invisible under intense enemy scrutiny."

The Ninken around Kakashi jumped down from off their perch atop the gates. It was then that the remaining candidates realized that there was exactly one dog for each of them.

"My kawaii Ninken are the best trackers in the world. Each one is now making note of your unique scent. Your goal today is to get to the center point of Konoha that is currently marked with a large red flag with the Konoha symbol on it. It is hung up on a high pole so it should be clearly visible from any point in the village. You all have had ample time over the last week to study the lay out of Konoha, which I'm sure you have, so home court advantage should be negligible. Stationed throughout the village…"

"OY, Kakashi, this one smells funny. Can I have another target?"

Kakashi sensei turned his droopy eye towards the smallest of his pack of Ninken.

"What is it Pakkun?" he asked uninterested.

"This one smells funny," Pakkun pointed a paw at his target, the reticent and cold Chingis Lei, who made no motion to indicate that he was aware he was being referred to.

"He smells like metal and look," Pakkun got on all four legs and turned around to point his behind at Kakashi, "He's making all the hairs on me rise up like he's some kind of ghost. See? Can I have someone else?"

"No," Kakashi said with finality.

"Che, ingrate," Pakkun threw out and sat back down on his haunches in a huff.

Kakashi heaved a tired sigh and rolled his one droopy eye.

"Okay, where was I again? Oh yes, stationed around the village are various Konoha and Sunakagure ninjas who's sole purpose is to find you. If you are spotted by one of them or tracked down by one of my Ninken, then you are automatically disqualified. The first eight candidates to reach the flag will be in the finals and this exam ends at that point. In the event that less than eight of you make it then we will simply choose the candidates that were detected latest to be in the finals."

Hinata threw Naruto a worried look. She knew she had a distinct advantage with her byakuugan in a task like this, but Naruto wasn't exactly the best at hiding. The look on Naruto's face, though, told her she was probably worrying too much. Naruto had a big fat, self-satisfied look on his face as if the current task was going to a cinch for him. She chuckled to herself a little, wondering what it was that Naruto had hidden up his sleeve.

"Ganbatte, Naruto-kun," Hinata said.

"Hahaha, you, too, Hinata-chan. Don't worry about me. This is going to be easy," Naruto said, his face still painted with a wide grin.

Sakura looked over at her teammate, thinking to herself that he probably has some stupid technique prepared that was along the lines of his Sexy no Jutsu. She rolled her eyes at his fat smile.

"This should be a fairly short exam since it's structured to be short plus there are so few of you left. You will have a 1 minute head start before your respective Ninken begin to track you down. Ready, begin."

The candidates all disappeared immediately from sight. After a minute of wait, the Ninken followed suite.

"Well, I guess I'd better go to the finish point and see who's there," Kakashi sighed out loud to himself, jumped off the gate, and began his pleasant stroll to the center of Konoha.

* * *

The large, bright red flag with a white Konoha symbol waved pleasantly under a beautiful blue sky. Kakashi strolled towards it and when he turned the corner he saw a sight that he did not expect. Sitting at the foot of the pole was one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, drinking a cup of sake with slightly pink cheeks and a happy smile on his face. Standing rather annoyed on the other side of the pole was another Sannin, the current Hokage Tsunade who stood tapping her foot irritably with her arms crossed. What was most surprising about the scene was that sitting between them eating from a hearty bowl of hot steaming victory ramen was none other than Naruto.

_Naruto got here first?_ Kakashi couldn't help thinking incredulously. It seemed like a miracle considering Naruto's nil hiding abilities when he first started training with Kakashi.

"Yo," Kakashi said with a hand raised in greeting as he walked towards them.

"Oh, Kakashi! Come and have a cup of sake with me! Tsunade's being a party pooper and refusing my generous offer of sake when I know she likes sake!" Jiraiya said loudly and obnoxiously. Kakashi thought of how much Naruto and this legendary Sannin resembled each other…and how they both resembled his own late sensei…

"No thank you," Kakashi refused.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that!" Jiraiya said, pouring himself another cup. Ignoring him, Kakashi turned his attention to Naruto.

"So, you're first place, huh?"

"YEP!" Naruto said smugly and then his face was hidden behind his large ramen bowl as he poured the rest of its contents down his eager throat.

"I'm very impressed Naruto, very impressed," Kakashi said genuinely.

"It's all thanks to my superb training you know!" Jiraiya showed off proudly.

"Ero Sennin (Perverted Hermit) told me he would treat me to ramen if I came in first place in this exam using a technique he had taught me," Naruto explained.

"Ah, yes, quite a motivator for you," Kakashi commented.

"Hey," Jiraiya hissed at Naruto, "I thought I told you not to call me Ero Sennin in public."

Jiraiya cleared his throat and forced a serious look.

"Yes, yes, it is a formidable technique that should be feared by many. It was developed by me, the great Sannin JIRAIYA...Ya...ya…ya..." Jiraiya said with fake dramatic echo.

Kakashi was about to ask for the name of this technique, for, despite Jiraiya's silly dramatics, if Naruto was able to use it to make first place against such formidable opponents who had many more advantages in such a task, it must indeed be something worth noting at the least. However, Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the next seven finalists: Lluvia, Hinata, Chingis, Sasuke, Shino, Kiba, and Sakura in that order. Like Kakashi, many of them were quite surprised to see Naruto all ready there sitting happily with an empty bowl of ramen set on the floor in front of him.

"Naruto? You were first?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"YUP!" Naruto affirmed, his smile wider than it had ever been before.

"Wow, Naruto, I'm really impressed," Sakura admitted, "what technique did you use to evade detection?"

"I used…" Naruto began to explain but he was cut off by a rambunctious Jiraiya.

"…the most terrifying technique ever known to ninja. For from the shadows, you never know when you will be attacked by the impenetrable invisibility of…" Jiraiya paused for dramatic effect, "…the PEEPING TOM STEALTH JUTSU!"

Jiraiya struck a theatrical pose with red fans poised to impress. The jaw of almost everyone there dropped in disbelief at the stupidity and shamelessness of the jutsu name.

"This is ten times dumber than Naruto's Sexy no Jutsu," Sakura thought out loud. Sasuke, also in a stunned state with an incredulous look on his face, nodded his head silently in agreement.

Jiraiya flashed Naruto a brilliant smile of victory and Naruto mirrored his wide grin. Then they both started chuckle. Then they began to laugh. Finally teacher and student were in a full blown guffaw as if they'd never been so amused in their entire life.

Tsunade, who looked like she was about to explode with fury, finally couldn't hold it any longer.

Jiraiya's amusement was abruptly interrupted by a loud bonk on his head by the strongest fist in Konoha.

"OWWW! HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" he protested loudly as he put a hand up to the new bruise that had grown as a bump on his head.

"YOU DRAGGED ME OUT HERE FOR THIS? YOU ARE SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE! IT'S ENOUGH THAT YOU MAKE UP THESE STUPID TECHNIQUES BUT TO PASS THEM ON TO YOUR STUDENTS? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

With that tirade, she began throwing more punches and kicks at her old, lascivious teammate who jumped about to avoid her onslaught.

As the circus act played itself out, some straggling ninjas arrived at the flag but they had little time to be disappointed at failing to make the finals because the strange sight of Konoha's Hokage and the legendary Konoha Sannin Jiraiya squabbling like hens in a pen made them wonder how Konoha became the strongest ninja village in the world.

Kakashi rolled his one droopy eye for the umpteenth time that day and addressed the finalists with whatever dignity Konoha had left after the spectacle of what was supposed to be some of the greatest ninjas their village had ever produced.

"Congratulations to the finalists. The final Chuunin exam will be held at the stadium one week from today. Your opponents will be made known to you then. Good luck."

_

* * *

Note: OMG, I've been waiting and waiting to get to this point in the story for so long. I'm very excited about the next few chapters so I hope you all are looking forward to reading them as much as I am looking forward to writing them and sharing them with you all. Thank you again for reading!_

_Random Note: Does Kingdom Hearts II not rawk like no other? Haha, too bad I haven't been able to buy it yet…it will be mine eventually! I've only seena few clips so far._


	22. Chapter 22

_Note: omg, I'll just let you get to reading… _

* * *

All The Difference 22

It had been a long week of training for the finals with their respective sensei, and this last day they trained together, reaping the benefits of fighting against opponents of varying abilities. At late morning, the Konoha genin took a break from their battling and sat around the small clearing that was slowly being covered up by plants and trees that were growing at an accelerated rate. They each took turns making the sequences of seals that Naruto and Hinata had taught them early this year then hitting the palms of their hands to the ground and feeding their chakra into the roots of their respective plants.

"Naruto, I researched this technique, it's the Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Birth of Dense Woodland), apparently used by the Shodai Hokage. Well, it's supposed to be able to create a whole forest, but I guess we're just getting started," Sakura shared with everyone.

"Wow, how did you find out about it Hinata?" Ino asked.

"I found it in a scroll in my room, hidden under a loose board," Hinata replied.

"Hm," Sakura said, "That seems to make sense. The Hyuuga family is the oldest noble family of Konohagakure, so it's possible one of Hinata's ancestors was probably very close to the Shodai Hokage."

"BBQ!" Chouji yelled out out of no where.

"Not again, Chouji," Ino said exasperated.

"Hey! Don't diss the BBQ! It was partly thanks to Mimi bringing all those bentos to the hospital for us to eat that we recovered so quickly."

"I know, I know," Ino said, flapping a weary hand in her hungry, rotund teammate's direction to calm him down.

They gathered their things and were off towards Mimi's restaurant. The last week had been full of training for the Chuunin finalists. Their friends had happily made a speedy recovery after their ordeal thanks to the improved health care in Konoha courtesy of Tsunade's training.

Walking towards the restaurant, the genin troupe drew many curious looks from visiting ninjas and traveling tourists who had come to watch the long awaited finals of the Chuunin Exams. They were too engrossed in their friendly conversations with each other to notice how much attention they were drawing. People, ninja and civilians alike, whispered to each other, sharing their thoughts, gossip, and excitement for the final battles the next day which were, as usual, dominated by young Konoha particpants.

Naruto and Hinata, who were walking together and chatting happily at the head of the group, suddenly stopped in their tracks. The rest paused as well, wondering what it was the couple had stopped for. In front of Naruto stood a tiny little girl with two sprightly red pigtails. She looked up with large, green eyes up at Naruto's tall, spiky-haired form.

"Annnoooo…" the little girl said timidly.

"Go on," a woman standing to her side who looked like her mother encouraged. Naruto looked over at the mother and then back at the little girl who was now holding her two tiny hands out in front of her, one holding a pen and the other holding a small notebook that was folded open revealing a crisp, clean new sheet of unmarked white paper.

"Annoooo…" the little girl began again, "Uzumaki Naruto-san, can I have your autograph?"

At first, Naruto looked down with wide incredulous eyes at the request that no one had ever made of him before. Then a large, wide grin spread across his face.

"Oh, of course! I guess you heard about how great I am right? Are you looking forward to seeing me in the finals tomorrow?"

The little girl nodded with a spirited smile and a star-struck look in her eye as Naruto squatted down, took her pen and paper and scribbled his name across its page with an embedded Konoha symbol for good measure. Behind him, Sakura and Sasuke shook their heads.

"Just what his ego needs," Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. But in mid-rolling-of-the-eyes, she felt a tug on her red dress.

"Annooo…" the little girl had moved over to her, "Haruno Sakura-san, can I have your autograph, too?"

Sakura's entire demeanor changed in a split second.

"Oh my gosh! You're so kawaiiii! Of course you can have my autograph! Be sure to cheer for me tomorrow!" she twittered on happily as she signed her name.

When she stood back up, she saw Sasuke looking at her with a wry smile.

"What?" she asked him.

"You were saying?" he responded. Then it was Sasuke's turn to feel a tug on his shirt.

"Annnoooo…" the little girl begain.

"Sure," Sasuke answered before she could painstakingly make another full-sentenced request and squatted down to her level to sign her little autograph book.

The little girl moved from ninja to ninja, as if she had been practicing to do this for quite some time. Having broken the ice for others, the young Konoha nin found themselves being approached by other people, children, adults, and seniors alike, who were also asking for autographs and even a few photos. Through it all, they threw each other incredulous looks. They didn't know this Chuunin exam was so highly anticipated.

When the last of the onlookers had finished approaching them, the now-tired bunch headed for Mimi's restaurant over an hour overdue for their lunch. Their stomach's growled and grumbled angrily at them.

With the usual rambunctious greeting Mimi usually gives them and the characteristic "CHOOOUUUJIII-KUUN!", the group was soon seated and munching hungrily on the appetizers set out all over the table in front of them and gulping down tea and water faster than the servers could pour for them. Despite their seemingly carefree feasting, any careful observer would notice that they were in fact rather alert and cautiously aware of a restaurant patron sitting alone at a booth in the corner.

The object of their cautious attention was none other than Lluvia of the Amegakure. As they had seen her before, her jet-black, waist-length hair was tied up in a high pony-tail streaming down over her back like a black burning silk flame. Her clam, light brown eyes looked down at the cup of steaming hot green tea that she held in her hands. She brought it up to her lips and tipped it to take a sip of the liquid. She wore the same sleeveless blue top with a short skirt that covered over tight black shorts that reached down to her knees. Her arms, shins, and ankles were bound in white bandages. The large umbrella characteristically carried by Amegakure nin rested against the booth bench that she sat in. Lluvia took another sip of her tea, and the Konoha genin observed her carefully from afar.

The one who observed her closest was Hinata. After a time of glancing over at Lluvia, Hinata stood up suddenly out of her seat.

"I'm going to ask her to join us," she announced.

They all turned and looked up at her resolute face in surprise, then watched as she marched over to Lluvia and introduced herself.

"Hi!" Hinata began cheerfully, "I'm Hinata."

Lluvia's light brown eyes blinked up at here in a bit of surprise.

"Hello," Lluvia replied in an even, polite voice and bowed her head slightly, "My name is Lluvia. Pleased to meet you."

"I just wanted to invite you to join us for lunch! The Chuunin Exams are a great time for ninjas of different villages to build good relations. Please," Hinata invited boldly.

"Oh, no, it's all right," Llluvia declined politely, "it would be too much trouble for the restaurant. I'm all ready settled in here."

"No, no, I insist," Hinata pressed on to the further surprise of her friends, "The owners are friends of ours, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Hinata began to pick up the placemat, chopsticks, silverware, and napkin in front of Lluvia. The Amegakure nin blinked again in surprise at Hinata's won't-take-no-for-an-answer attitude and finally gave in and picked up her cup of hot tea and followed Hinata over to the table full of Konoha nins.

Hinata placed everything she had picked up neatly down at the head of the long table they all sat at. Lluvia came up to the spot, looked around at the two rows of colorful Konoha genin on either side of the table, bowed politely, and sat down at her place.

"Here it is!" Mimi broke the short moment of awkward silence with her vivacious voice. She walked to the table with plates full of ready-to-cook meat drenched in her special sauces. She placed the food all around the table and covered the hot black grills with meat until not an inch of their table was uncovered by food. Without even a mention of the change in location, she placed Lluvia's order in front of her with a friendly smile.

The rich aromas of the foods filled each one of them, and they began to dig into the hearty feast.

"I take it that you have recovered fully from our battle?" Lluvia surprisingly started the conversation.

Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru exchanged looks with each other, not sure of what to make of her question, and then nodded their heads tentatively.

"I'm glad to hear of it," Lluvia said politely with a small yet regal bow of her head.

"Thanks…" Ino responded with uncertainty. It was in fact Lluvia's doing that they had been found in such dire conditions.

"So," Hinata tried to push along the conversation, "where are your teammates Lluvia-san?"

"They are having their meal somewhere else," Lluvia answered simply.

"Oh? Why don't you call them to join us?" Hinata offered.

"Thank you, but they would prefer not to be in my presence if they can avoid it," Lluvia answered.

Hinata didn't know how to respond to this, so all she did was give Lluvia a questioning look.

"Like everyone else at my village, they fear and hate me because I am a Jinchuriki," Lluvia plainly answered Hinata's unspoken query.

Kiba choked on a piece of his food, and as he was coughing this out, the rest of the group turned wide eyes towards the Amegakure nin.

"I take it that you all know what a Jinchuriki is," Llluvia observed.

"Yes," Naruto answered firmly. Lluvia turned her attention towards the yellow-haired ninja sitting next to Hinata and noted his whiskered cheek.

"Indeed," Lluvia responded.

"Wait, if your whole village hates you, then why do you fight for their honor?" Ino had to ask.

Lluvia took another calm sip of her tea and was silent for a moment. The table of nins waited curiously for her reply.

"They might fear and despise me, but they are kind and caring to each other. I fight for their honor to protect that. I am after all a demon, so it is understandable that they should loathe me," Lluvia said, her voice as confident and sure as her movements.

As their minds got around to understanding Lluvia's words, they became wide eyed with amazement. Of all of them, Naruto was the first to understand why Hinata had invited Lluvia over to them.

"So what kind of food do they have at the Amegakure?" Naruto asked.

"Fish, lots of fish," Lluvia replied.

"Oh oh! Do they have fish ramen?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, it is quite delicious," Lluvia responded.

The meal continued on pleasantly, and the Konoha genin asked Lluvia all about her village. Though Lluvia maintained her regal composure outwardly, inside there was a hollow pain that she had grown accustomed to ever since she could remember. Here, today, she felt that hollow pain ease a bit. She was grateful for this meal with others, for most of her meals were taken alone.

When all the plates and grills were cleaned off and cleared away, the young ninjas poured out of the restaurant and lingered around its entrance for a bit.

"Thank you for allowing me to join you for this meal. I am due to meet with the Amekage. Have a good day and good luck to those of you competing in tomorrow's finals," Llluvia said with a deep bow.

"Good luck to you, too, Lluvia-san," Hinata said cheerfully. The rest of them made gestures of good bye as well with friendly smiles.

Lluvia smiled politely and was soon on her way.

"Wow, she's really serious isn't she?" Kiba commented.

"Yeah, but she seems cool enough, despite having almost killed me an all," Ino said jokingly.

"But she didn't. She totally could have killed us, but she didn't," Chouji emphasized.

Ino sighed, "Yeah, but can you imagine? Growing up in a village where everyone hates you?" Then she realized what she had just said and quickly added, "Sorry, Naruto, I wasn't thinking…"

Naruto gave a good-spirited smile and said, "No, Lluvia's right. It makes sense for people to fear and hate a demon."

"Naruto, demons are made not born," Neji said and then added, "and you my friend, are not a demon."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Thanks, but made or born, what's inside of me is a real demon."

"What has been made can be unmade, not overnight, but eventually," Neji threw back wisely.

"Right, Kyubi's not all bad. He came to save me that one time I staged my kidnap," Hinata added thoughtfully.

"Oh come on," Kiba said, breaking the tension with a punch to Naruto's shoulder,

"Naruto can be a demon if he wants to be. Just as long as he's a good demon."

"Good demon? Isn't that an oxymoron?" Ino said.

"You're a moron," Kiba retorted.

"That was so lame I'm not even going to say anything back," Ino replied.

"But you just did," Kiba goaded and watched with satisfaction as her face turned pink with irritation.

As Kiba and Ino argued on, Sakura turned to Hinata and asked, "So what would you do if you fought against Lluvia?"

"Hm, I'm not sure yet, it's pretty hard because I don't really know what her full range of abilities are," Hinata replied.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "What about you Sasuke?"

"Woah," Naruto interupted, "Sasuke's going to have to get through me to fight Lluvia!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What?" Sakura asked shaking her head, "You can't change the rules."

"I don't care," Naruto stood firm, "Ne? Sasuke? Anyone you go against, you're going to have to get through me first."

"Ah," Sasuke replied with a knowing smile. Like Naruto, he hoped that the two of them would be pitted against each other.

The group headed out for some more training as their conversations continued on.

_What has been made…can be unmade…_Kyubi pondered over Neji's words to himself as he listened to the sounds of friendly chattering reaching him from the world outside his prison. Then, he thought of a fitting addition to Neji's words:

…_and remade anew…_

* * *

"Good luck tomorrow," Sakura said as she gave him an affectionate peck on the lips and touched his cheek. He grabbed her hand as it slid away from his face and gave it a warm squeeze.

"You, too," Sasuke said with a loving twilight sparkle in his deep, dark eyes. The full moon hung above them in the dark sky pouring its reflected light all over the land. Sakura and Sasuke were just about to go their separate ways home for a good night of rest and sleep in preparation for the next day's final exam.

"Che, with my muscles and brains, I won't need luck," Sakura jested back.

"Ah, of course," Sasuke chuckled and kissed her on her forehead.

They parted and Sasuke strolled through the pleasant night on a peaceful Konoha street back to his apartment. Taking a deep breath of the fresh night air, he looked up at the stars and thought of how great it would be to live back at his old home where he had stayed with his family before. They were nearly finished with rebuilding the old Uchiha neighborhood. He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed through his mind's eye some of the happy memories of his family Sakura had helped him remember with her psychological healing abilities. He was happy she could see them, too, so that they could share in his past and remember those of the Uchiha clan and his parents fondly allowing their memories to live again.

Even Itachi. It was painful to even think of him, but before he became more and more alienated, Sasuke remembered how much he looked up to Itachi, how proud he was of such an accomplished brother, how much he wanted to be like him. Since the day of the Uchiha clan massacre, Sasuke decided that if there was anything he was going to be in this world, he was not going to be like his brother. Naruto was the one who woke him up to the fact that to take a path of vengence was to follow a path of selfishness like the one his brother walked.

The image of Naruto's face flashed through his mind. His words that day were burned into Sasuke's soul.

…_if you come back as Orochimaru's puppet to destroy our home, our friends, our family…I'm going to protect Konoha no matter what it costs!...Even if I have to kill you!_

Sasuke laughed to himself.

_Naruto, I'm counting on you for that my friend, _he thought to himself with a sad smile.

He opened the door to his apartment and closed it behind him, locking out the beautiful Konoha night outside. After changing, cleaning up, and brushing his teeth, Sasuke hopped into his comfortable bed and lay awake for bit, excited about tomorrow's events. Tired from a day of training though, his eyes soon drooped and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

It seemed like only moments after when he reopened his eyes again. He felt the cool, fresh breeze of the night air caress gently against his face and rustle the clothes he was wearing. He wondered if he had accidentally left a window open. Just as this thought passed through his consciousness, he opened his eyes wide open in shock. The window wasn't open. He was standing upright, wearing his day clothes, and no longer in the comfortable bed of his modest apartment. In fact, he wasn't even in the apartment at all. As far as he could tell, he was standing in a forest somewhere far outside the boundaries of the village.

With horror filling his chest like poison poured unwillingly down his throat, he watched as a familiar ninja with light bluish-gray hair and large, round, flashing spectacles stepped into his view.

Sasuke tried to speak, but his mouth would not obey his request.

_Kabuto, _he could only think in his mind.

Following him was another ninja, one that Sasuke had been dreading seeing again since the day he decided to return to Konoha. The sight of the pale skin, the flowing hair, and the slithering smile caused his soul to shiver if his body would not.

"Sasuke-kun, ohisashiburi desu (long time no see)," Orochimaru said with his raspy, creeping voice.

"Preparations are ready," Kabuto said in his calculating, cold voice, "I will stand watch."

Kabuto flew over the tree tops to a nearby mountain ridge, a perfect lookout spot that left Orochimaru enough space for this terrifying forbidden jutsu. Sasuke looked up into the face of his abductor. It sunk into him now more than ever before how much his body belonged to Orochimaru, how deeply and thoroughly the poisoning curse possessed him All he had left now was his consciousness, and soon that would be gone, too.

"You may have one last request," Orochimaru hissed.

Sasuke suddenly felt his facial features under his own control again. His features strained as he tried to move the rest of his body to no avail. He was completely and utterly unable to defend himself.

Orochimaru watched Sasuke struggle like this for a moment, as if respectfully waiting patiently for Sasuke to make his last attempt to fight back, no matter how useless it was.

Sasuke's mind raced. He could think of no strategy to free himself, to save himself. The sinking feeling of defeat came upon him as he remembered his promise to Sakura, that he would win if he fought against Orochimaru. He closed his eyes for a moment and called to his mind the image of her smiling face. He felt a welling sadness in his chest as he said goodbye to her glimmering image in his mind.

_Sakura, koishii (beloved), I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise._

With that silent message, he opened his eyes to look back into Orochimaru's sickeningly pale face. He feigned a look of defeat and made his request.

"Spare Konoha and all of its people."

Orochimaru's face spread into a wide smile.

"You know that that is one request I cannot grant, but I knew you would ask that anyways. You have done well, Sasuke-kun, rebuilding your bridges to the hearts of Konoha."

Sasuke looked up at him genuinely puzzled by his words.

"Oh? You don't know why I have let you roam free in Konoha for so long when I was ready to transfer to your body? Think about it, Sasuke-kun, I'm sure you can find the answer."

Sasuke searched his mind for the reasoning his tormentor hinted at. Orochimaru watched with sadistic pleasure as his prey squirmed and fretted over the answer to his question. An even wider, more evil looking smile spread across his face when Sasuke's eyes suddenly grew wide in terror and understanding. Orochimaru laughed a cold, cruel laugh.

"Yes! Yes! You've figured it out haven't you?" Orochimaru chuckled heartlessly, thoroughly enjoying toying with his prey.

"You should feel honored, Sasuke-kun, for more of your consciousness will survive in me than any of my previous hosts. A part of each of them lives on in me, but you, you will have a greater part."

Orochimaru smiled, silent for another moment, savoring the terror that was emanating from Sasuke's eyes.

"As you may have guessed, I will begin by killing your best friend in tomorrow's final battle, passing it off as an accident. Once the Mangekyō Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye)has awoken, I will use it to sacrifice everyone else dear to you to its power. With the specialties of your body, I will surpass my wildest dreams of advancing ninjitsu!"

"Why," Sasuke asked, his voice and his eyes were steady now. The realization of what a fool he had been for thinking that he could return to Konoha and make a new life for himself had fully taken root and now he forced himself to focus on what he knew he must do.

"Why? Why advance? Why not! Because just like you and all other ninja, it thrills me to become stronger. Everyone wants to be happy, and this is what makes me happy," Orochimaru said with a wild smile.

"Your happiness comes at the selfish cost of the lives and happiness of others," Sasuke pressed on.

"Don't lecture me, Sasuke-kun, about taking and saving lives. Konoha ninjas kill all the time to protect their happiness," Orochimaru tossed back at him.

"Yes, but there is a difference between protecting happiness honorably and wild abandon to selfish violence," Sasuke returned smartly.

"Hmph, very good Sasuke-kun. It seems you have become wiser since we last spoke. But in the end killing is killing, murder is murder—there is very little difference between me and any other Konoha ninja."

"You're wrong. Even when one life is spared, when one person's happiness has been justly protected, it makes all the difference. I will not become like you. I will not become like Itachi. Till my last breath."

Sasuke finished his words with the honor and dignity befitting the last descendant of a Konoha noble family.

"Well," Orochimaru said with a conniving smile, "I don't know if you'll have much choice in that."

Before Orochimaru even finished his sentence, Sasuke's vision was filled with the sight of a gigantic snake that rose out from where Orochimaru stood. It cocked its head back for a deadly strike with a malicious, fang-sharp grin. Then the snake began to shoot forward as if to bite off Sasuke's head entirely.

As the wide open mouth of the snake came towards his face, Sasuke activated his Sharingan one last time and with all the strength he had, he funneled all of his consciousness to focus on one last willful act, one last dying wish, before he felt the inflow of Orochimaru's thoughts begin to flood through his mind and ruthlessly wipe out his own.

_

* * *

Note: tearing up Just keep reading…_


	23. Chapter 23

_Note: Whew! Fight scenes are always tough. Speaking of which, if you find my fight scene descriptions too technical, please let me know. I'm interested in how different people are processing them. Also, just a quick note on Amekage: Since the Amegakure isn't part of Masashi Kishimoto's original manga, I thought it would work to use it here and give them a Kage so that it will fit with the needs of this plot line. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter and I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

All The Difference 23

Orochimaru walked down the Konoha main street towards the arena. He stretched out his legs, glad to be in a young, healthy and strong body. He still wore the clothes that Sasuke had worn when he had come unwillingly out of the safety of Konoha's confines to the secluded place where Orochimaru and Kabuto had lay in wait for their prey. He felt the presence of what was left of Sasuke's consciousness, the emotions the young man had felt for the people of Konoha, the bonds he had had with his friends, the love he had felt for one woman.

"All such weaknesses to be turned into the strength of the Mangekyō Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye)," Orochimaru said to himself as the faint evidence of a sinister smile spread across what was once Sasuke's face.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Orochimaru heard a voice calling him from behind. He turned to see a girl with bright turquoise eyes framed by pink hair running towards him. _The one he loved,_ Orochimaru thought to himself, _Yes, she will do wonders for the mangekyo when I kill her._ Orochimaru fought the urge to lick his lips in anticipation of the power he would soon gain.

"Sasuke! What happened? You were supposed to meet us at the Ichiraku this morning! Everyone's all ready gone to the arena. I've been looking everywhere for you!" Sakura said, looking a bit cross and upset.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't hungry," Orochimaru replied in Sasuke's voice.

"But we were only meeting up there! Not eating…" Sakura said giving him a confounded look.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot," Orochimaru covered up.

"That's not like you to forget…are you okay?" Sakura asked with worry on her brow. Orochimaru watched as her concerned eyes shifted over to where the cursed bruise lay on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Sorry, I'm just caught up in thinking about the exams. That's all. I didn't sleep well last night because I was too anxious for today's finals. I'm excited about fighting Naruto, I hope I'm paired up with him," Orochimaru lied. She gave him a doubtful and aggravated look.

He tried not to throw her an irritable look and masked his annoyance under a friendly and amicable smile. He thought of how he wanted to kill her first since she would be the most likely to find him out, but if she was missed at the finals, it would lead to suspicion and unrest in the village. He held back his deadly will for the time being.

_All in good time,_ he thought to himself.

He linked his fingers through Sakura's.

"Come on Sakura, I'm sorry, I really just have too much on my mind lately," Orochimaru gave out an exasperated sigh to add dramatic emphasis to his words, "Plus, you know, it was at the last Chuunin exams that Orochimaru showed up. I've just been edgy about that."

Orochimaru gave a shrug and feigned a sad look on Sasuke's young features.

Sakura's irked look turned into one of empathy. She squeezed his hand a little.

"I know, me, too. It's hard to stop worrying about that. But don't worry, Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, and even Jiraiya-san are all going to be there today. Plus you've got me, Naruto, and everyone else there. Tsunade's also got a few teams of Anbu positioned throughout the village and at the arena, too. No way Orochimaru can get past all of that."

Orochimaru heaved another sigh.

"I know, it's just he got past everyone last time disguised as the Kazekage. Right in front of everyone's face. Even the Sunagakure ninjas didn't know. I just have to stay alert."

Sakura pulled his arm over her shoulders and wrapped her arms around him from the side as they continued to walk. She pressed her head against his shoulder.

"I won't let him near you," she said defiantly, feeling ready to throw herself in the path of any danger headed towards Sasuke's way the way she had always done, ever since they were assigned to the same team with Naruto. It didn't matter if it was the psychotic, demon possessed Gaara or the slithering, terrifying Orochimaru, she had stood and will continue to stand in anything's way to prevent hurt from reaching her beloved.

She squeezed his torso, holding him as if she were afraid he would slip away at any instant, and she would never be able to hold him again.

Orochimaru, though thoroughly uncomfortable with the intimacy of the situation, forced Sasuke's arm to hold her closer to himself. Then, he felt the shoulder that Sakura's head rested against twitch. It bumped her face up, as if trying to push her off. Sakura pressed her face against it again, and again, it twitched and pushed her off.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" Sakura asked with unease.

"I think I strained it from all the training this past week," Orochimaru said. He took the opportunity to remove Sasuke's arm from her shoulders and grabbed the shoulder with his other hand and began to rotate it as if he were stretching it out and warming it up. Inside, he was puzzled as well by why the shoulder was twitching. He searched his consciousness for anything that was out of place, anything out of the ordinary. His mind was clear of all but his own thoughts. He made a mental note to have Kabuto give a physical examination of his body. There was no time for that now. The plan was moving foreward.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sakura asked again full of uncertainty.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I've just been edgy and anxious. It helps to see you and have you here with me," Orochimaru threw her Sasuke's handsome smile.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke's smiling face, took a deep breath, and managed a smile back. Who knew how much longer they could be together like this under the beautiful Konoha sky, just enjoying each other's company and simply being together. What a waste it would be to spend this precious time together all on worrying. She took a hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Come on, let's hurry," Sakura said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"Ah," Orochimaru replied with a cheerful expression on Sasuke's face.

Hand in hand they walked towards the arena where the finals were about to begin.

* * *

"Jinju Konbi Henge: Sotoro (Man beast combination transformation: Double-Headed Wolf)!"

Kiba and Akamaru merged to form a gigantic, two-headed white wolf. The Cerberus-like creature leapt up into the air and began an attack towards Shino who stood calm at the other end of the large, high-walled arena.

The Chuunin final exams were under way. Leaders of the participating villages sat on high, and the stadium seats were brimming with merchants and excited onlookers all here to witness a new generation of ninjas take ninjitsu to the next level. The other candidates stood in the balcony waiting for their turn.

"Garoga (Double Wolf Fang)!"

The large, two-headed monster jettisoned towards the still unperturbed Shino, its large body now a deadly spiraling weapon.

The audience gasped as the creature made contact with the slight figure of the young ninja who stood in its destructive path. It seemed certain that the quiet ninja in the white coat and dark spectacles had met his end at the edge of this fantastic attack.

Everyone watched with equal astonishment as Shino's form suddenly dissolved into an intricate mass of tiny black bugs that sprayed across the battleground. The tiny bugs disappeared from sight as they touched the soft earth.

Meanwhile, the Sotoro that was Kiba and Akamaru smashed into the thick walls of the side of arena and rocks, dust, and even wads of grass-covered soil flew up high into the air, almost reaching the stadium seats situated at the top.

The large wolf regained its footing, shaking off the debris from the impact as if it had simply got some dust on itself instead of having crashed head on into a solid cement wall. A few audience members ooo-ed and aw-ed at the power of the Garoga attack. The Sotoro surveyed the now empty battlefield and growled in distaste as it stepped carefully forward and sniffed the air and ground for its opponent. The onlookers searched the arena in earnest as well, wondering where Shino had disappeared to.

There was a slight rumble that suddenly spread across the stadium, and then the ground around the Sotoro burst open into what looked like angry geysers of black liquid, but instead of oil or heated underground water, what burst out of the earth were streams and streams of black Destruction Bugs. The dark insects surrounded the body of the monstrous wolf like black tentacles of an unseen octopus entwining the canine body in a deadly grip.

"Mushi Chakra Kyuin Jutsu (Bug Chakra Absorption Technique)."

Shino's disembodied voice came out calm and rather monotone, as if he were answering a bland question instead of calling out the name of a lethal Aburame clan technique.

The mass of Destruction Bug covered Sotoro suddenly glowed with a blue flame of exposed chakra, and the crowd watched in horror as the scurrying bugs hungrily absorbed the bodily energy like the parasites they were.

The Sotoro disappeared quickly afterwards in a puff of smoke. As the smoke cleared out, it revealed the image of a standing Shino. On the ground at his feet were the fallen forms of Kiba and Akamaru barely recognizable under a thick mass of moving dark insects.

Some of the audience members turned away in disgust from the morbid scene. The rest watched as the bugs slowly but surely seeped away from the body of the fallen ninja and his companion, creeping under the clothing of the standing Shino and re-entering his host body.

When the audience members who had looked away found the courage to look back at the scene, they saw something they didn't expect.

Shino was now crouched down next to his fallen opponents, carefully checking their pulses to make sure they were alive. Medical personnel soon arrived at their side and Shino helped to move his unconscious friend up onto the stretcher.

"Winner: Aburame Shino!"

As the announcement was made, Shino's back was to the crowd as he watched his friend being carried away. Touched by the strong friendship between the two Konoha nins who just fought honorably as opponents in battle, the audience broke into a roar of applause.

Shino turned and looked up at the crowd in acknowledgement, then made his way quietly to exit the battleground and return to the perch where the other candidates stood in wait.

"Next battle: Haruno Sakura vs. Hyuuga Hinata."

Sakura and Hinata exchanged an excited look, then turned to look back at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto put hand on Hinata's head, kissed her forehead, and wished her good luck with a tender look in his eyes.

Orochimaru took Sakura's hand and gave it a squeeze. Sakura gave him a cross look.

"You'd better be cheering extra hard for me to make up for forgetting to meet up with us this morning," Sakura scolded playfully.

"Ah," Orochimaru feigned with a smile.

Coming up the stairs, Shino gave them an encouraging albeit silent and stoic nod.

Lluvia bowed politely at them as they gave her a happy smile.

Chinggis stood against the fence with what seemed like an empty stare at the battle field before him making no notice of the two girls walking past him to go down the stairs.

Lluvia watched as the two went down the steps with an anxious anticipation in their movements as they headed out to battle each other. She could tell they were excited to battle each other as peers, as equals, as comrades to challenge each others abilities and become better ninjas.

_This is how it should be…_Lluvia thought to herself. Then she looked back over at the two young men who had just bid their respective significant others good luck. The sight of the friendship between the two girls and their strong connection with the two young men up here caused a pang of jealously to rise in Lluvia's chest. She fought the desire to bring her hand up to her heart, as if she could stave off the pain of solitude opening up her chest with pressure from her palm. Her hands gripped into tight fists as she fought to maintain her proud composure. She refocused her mind back onto the task at hand, wondering who she would fight. She didn't worry much about the outcome of the battle, however, for she had never lost before.

_There is no use in this world for self-pity,_ Lluvia coached herself the way she always had. Early in her childhood, the hate of the other villagers was clear to her. They had made no secret of why they hated her, and she had come to accept that to be a detested demon was her fate, but decided that the least she could do with her abilities while she still breathed was to protect what she deemed worthy of protection, even if she received none of it herself. She had chosen to protect the love and care the villagers showed each other, even though none of it was ever offered to her…_for if I had something so precious, I would want to protect it…_she had reasoned.

Petal-pink and ink-blue hair shining under the bright sun, the two Chuunin hopefuls made their way to the center of the arena where the moderator stood in wait for them. The crowd looked on in anticipation.

Sakura and Hinata knocked their fists in a gesture of mutual encouragement. They smiled at each other but not with the cheerful, friendly smile they usually exchanged. This was a smile of anticipation and determination, one that said no punches would be pulled in this fight. They were prepared to push each others abilities to the limits.

"Ready…" the moderator began.

Sakura stood with one foot foreword and her two hands held up in scattered fists in front of her chin. She watched as Hinata took an unexpected stance. It looked similar to the beginning stance of the Juken Sakura had grown accustomed to watching the Hyuuga family heirs, Hinata and Neji, take in their fights. This stance, though, was less aggressive, less angular. It looked to Sakura as if Hinata, with her delicately held up fingers positioned to imitate floral petals, was about to engage in a beautiful and graceful dance instead of mortal combat. The seemingly inappropriateness of this approach to the battle was unnerving. Sakura remembered Naruto's words during the first exam in the forest.

_Hinata's learned this new Juken style…I don't know if even Fuzzy Eyebrow's taijutsu could compete against it…_

"Begin." The moderator's voice broke into Sakura's train of thought, and he disappeared from their side as soon as the words left his mouth.

Sakura gasped as she watched Hinata suddenly disappear from her sight. In the corner of her eye to her left, she had barely registered Hinata's form there and turned to see the elegant and smooth movements of Hinata's body when she felt the first attack on her internal chakra system.

Before she could recover and back away, Hinata had landed a few more blows before moving to the other side of Sakura and attacking her chakra system flow there.

Sakura threw a number of strong punches and kicks towards Hinata, hits so packed full of power that if they had made their marks, Hinata would have been out right away and the battle would be over in an instant. But Hinata's speed and fluidity was something Sakura couldn't match, and though her punches were powerful, she couldn't get any solid hits. There were moments where she felt her hand or foot make contact with Hinata and she had thought that she had landed a hit, but her friend's body seemed like a leaf twirling in the wind—the more you struck at it, the more in bent and danced away deflecting the power of the blow and letting it slide past harmlessly. All the while, Sakura's own chakra system was being blocked off and disabled. She was being pushed back further and further with an onslaught of Hinata's Juken attacks taking her down bit by bit.

Neji, who was seated up in the stands with the rest of the Hyuuga family, turned to his uncle.

"What style is this?"

"I don't know, ask your aunt," Hiashi said with a wry smile.

Neji turned a puzzled look towards his aunt. She smiled in response from under her dark blue locks.

"Hi-mi-tsu, (Secret)," his aunt teased.

Neji gave her half irritated, half amused crooked smile. He resolved to learn everything about this secret. He turned his attention eagerly back to the fight to study his cousin's movements.

Suddenly, to the amazement of the crowd, Sakura ignored Hinata's attacks for a second and raised her leg up into the air and smashed it down onto the ground.

"Tsutenkyaku (Painful Sky Leg)!"

The earth around her suddenly exploded into a giant crater in the large battleground area causing a nearby tree to tilt slightly in her direction from being partially uprooted. Sakura jumped back right after she hit the ground with her foot, her hand reached out behind her to keep her body from hitting the wall. As her hand struck the wall, it created its own crater in the cement structure. Sakura stood there for a moment, grabbing on to the cement that she had just smashed and caught her breath. As her hand came down to her side, the gravel fell from her fingers, and the many jaws in the audience dropped at the sight of her. While none of her strikes were hitting her opponent, they had not known how powerful those attacks were. Now, they appreciated just how decisive it would have been if one of Sakura's punches and hit Hinata.

Hinata had jumped back away from the dangerously fast flying debris from Sakura's newly created crater. She watched with even breath as Sakura looked back at her breathing hard. Hinata knew close combat was her best strategy at the moment. She made towards Sakura again, ready to deal out another slew of her Fuchin Hana Juken (Floating Flower Gentle Fist).

Under her pink locks, Sakura's dusty face broke out into a small smile.

Hinata struck at her opponent again, aiming for yet another vital chakra system point, and when her fingers met their mark, she realized she was off ever so slightly, missing the exact surgical point she was aiming for, her attack rendered a harmless little tap on Sakura's shoulder. She continued attack after attack with the same results. Then she felt Sakura's hand on her leg and then her leg fell limp. As she began to fall forward a bit, she saw Sakura's punch coming towards her face. In a last ditch defense, she brought one hand up and tapped Sakura's punching wrist causing Sakura's punch to go off course, and Hinata turned her head and body just in time so that Sakura's strike only nicked her slightly on the cheek. With her one good leg, Hinata jumped away from Sakura, realizing that if she stayed where she was, she would quickly lose mobility. Sakura had changed her strategy from hard hits to surgical attacks, and Hinata could tell that her pink-haired peer was also using genjutsu to confuse Hinata's senses just enough to affect the accuracy of her Juken strikes.

She felt the pain of the bruise on her face that was forming where Sakura's powerful punch had nicked her.

At a safe distance, Hinata put a hand down to her leg where Sakura had cut a tendon and proceeded to heal herself. Sakura also had a hand to her shoulder trying to heal the blocks on her chakra system. Hinata, knew, though, that Sakura's attempt to heal the chakra attacks would be relatively fruitless because physical injuries are easier to heal than chakra ones, and Hinata was by far better at healing chakra systems than Sakura by default of her byakugan capabilities.

Without warning, Hinata sent a barrage of kunai heading towards Sakura. Sakura barely heard Hinata say, "Hidden Kunai!" as she pulled out her own kunai from her utility pack and deflected the on coming weapons. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the air as Sakura blocked ever single kunai. Then Sakura gasped in pain. Her arms, legs, and torso were suddenly covered in cuts, and she felt the warmth of her own blood as it began to flow over her skin from her many wounds. Sure she had blocked all of the oncoming kunai and unable to understand what had just happened to her, Sakura stood with wide, bewildered eyes as Hinata's countenance appeared right in front of her face.

"Genwaku Hyuuga (Blinding In The Sun)!" Hinata's voice echoed through the stadium.

The crowd watched Sakura's head fling backwards as if something had just knocked her on the forehead. For Sakura, everything suddenly went dark as her vision failed her. She looked out into the darkness realizing that she had seen Hinata use this same technique on Kurenai sensei. Then, before she could orient herself to her new state of blindness, she heard Hinata's voice calling out her next attack.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijuha Sho (Eight trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)!"

Sakura's body received the multiple almost simultaneous attacks of this high level Juken attack, and she was thrown back, her chakra systems completely disabled and her body covered in injuries.

As she lay on the ground, she tried to move her limbs to get back up on her feet, but she realized that she had lost movement of her limbs as well. Somehow, Hinata had combined the chakra surgical attacks with the physical surgical attacks and was able to deliver it all in a single, new hybrid technique.

Sakura lay on the ground in darkness, feeling the stickiness of her own blood on her body, and unable even clean herself off.

She felt a cool hand on her arm as the moderator announced, "Winner: Hyuuga Hinata!"

The crowd cheered down at the victor as she went about healing all of her friend's wounds before the medical personnel could even make it out onto the field.

Sakura felt the wounds healing and her chakra system being restored bit by bit.

"Suge (awesome), Hinata," Sakura said with a tired smile.

"Anatawa mo (You, too)," Hinata responded with her own tired smile.

"Hidden Kunai huh? I can't even begin to figure out how you did that one. I was so surprised I couldn't keep up my genjutsu on you," Sakura exclaimed in amazement.

The medical personnel lifted Sakura onto the stretcher with Hinata still busy healing her wounds.

"I'll come and assist with treatment. No one here is more qualified to heal the chakra system than me," Hinata ordered.

The medical personnel nodded in understanding and allowed Hinata to follow them off the field as the crowd settled back into their seats for the next battle.

"As usual, Konoha has produced an impressive group of ninjas," Amekage complimented the Hokage.

"Sou, sou, very impressive indeed," Raikage added.

The village leaders sat up to the left of the Hokage, ceremonially representing that ninjas from their own villages had made it to the finals. To the Hokage's right sat the Godaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara (Gaara of the Desert). All four wore their official robes with the symbol of their respective titles emblazoned upon their large head covers.

"Your villages have produced some amazing ninjas this year as well, from the reports that I've heard," Tsunade offered back a polite yet genuine compliment.

"Thank you for your kind words," Amekage said, "We are quite proud of our candidate. She has never lost a single battle."

"Oh, neither has our candidate," Raikage responded, "Let us hope that they are matched against each other."

Right on cue, the moderator announced the next battle.

"Chinggis Lei vs. Lluvia!"

As the two new combatants made their way to the center of the arena, the Amekage looked upon Llluvia and remembered their meeting from the night before.

"_Tomorrow is very important. The reputation of our entire village rests on your shoulders. If you fail, everyone will see us as weak and powerless. We'll be like food for the hyenas. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes sir."_

"_Then you will not fall back to your silly ideals. There is no room for mercy in this dog eat dog world. You will kill your opponent to show our might! Do you understand!"_

Lluvia had made no response to his last statement. Under his large hat, the Amekage bit his lower lip in irritation. _Her and her stupid ideals…_he thought to himself. Lluvia had always carried out every one of her missions flawlessly, but she had always refused to kill. He could not afford that ideal today, not when the whole ninja world was watching. _We cannot show weakness,_ he thought again to himself.

Lluvia and Chingis took front and center stage. Though there had been rumors about some amazing ninjas from the Amegakure and the Kumogakure, the rumors told little more than grand general details. These two ninjas were unknown elements to the audience, so they sat in anticipation of what new abilities they were going to witness today. Only the young Konoha genin that had fought against them, Shikamaru and Neji's teams, were looking with cautious eyes down at the two opponents who had so easily taken them out.

"Jinchuriki," Neji said under his breath.

"What did you say?" Hiashi asked.

Neji looked over into his uncle's inquiring face.

"We think that they're Jinchuriki like Naruto," Neji began and then explained to his uncle all that had happened.

"Oh, I see," Hiashi said with a grave nodding of the head. He looked back down at the two opponents, and then said, "They must have lead very harsh lives then."

Neji turned a bit surprised at his uncle's comment. He had been caught up in thinking about how he would beat them, how he would analyze their every movement during this Chuunin battle and try to come up with counter-attacks or defensive tactics. So intent he was on this task that he had not stopped to think about them as human beings. His eyes softened in understanding.

"Like Naruto," Neji said with empathy as he turned back to look at the two Jinchuriki facing off. Then he noticed his uncle looking at him and turned back to meet his stare.

"Like you," Hiashi said simply.

Neji's eyes grew wide again, then he couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

"Maybe just a little," he responded.

Hiashi put a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"I know I can't replace your father…" Hiashi began in a deep, serious tone.

Neji looked up into his uncle's face in surprise again.

"…but I sure do look like him."

Neji blinked in shock. _Was that a…joke?_ Then Neji broke out in a chuckle that quickly turned into a full laugh. Tenten, who was sitting next to him, had also heard Hiashi's comment, and she couldn't help but laugh along with Neji.

Hiashi himself, whose wife was also chuckling at his comment, sat with a wide smile on his face, pleased at the effectiveness of his little joke. He reached his arm fully around Neji's shoulders and gave him a firm sideways hug. For a moment, in the warmth of his uncle's brief partial embrace, he was reminded of when his father used to joke around with him at the dinner table long ago. It was a precious memory.

Naruto turned to Orochimaru with a big grin on his face.

"I guess it's going to be you and me, huh?"

Orochimaru smiled. Kabuto had done well to rig the supposedly random matching.

"Of course," Orochimaru said with hidden meaning.

Wearing her blue, sleeveless vest and black shorts with her hair tied up in a high, streaming pony-tail and her arms and legs bandaged in white cloth, Lluvia looked up at her opponent. Chingis stood staring at her face but not into her eyes. His gaze seemed to focus on some small feature of her face, like her mouth or her nose or her cheek. It was as if he didn't care to look into her eyes and see her living soul shining through their luminosity. In contrast, Lluvia looked straight into his dark brown eyes that seem to lack the luster of life. She observed his form that was fully covered in black cloth in the style of a traditional, assassin ninja. Even his nose and mouth were covered up and not a strand of hair stuck out from underneath the black cloth. His hands were also covered in thick, black gloves, and the only human flesh that was revealed was that around his eyes as they peered heartlessly out onto the world form inside the confines of his abysmal clothing.

_For the survival of my village_, _I will have to kill you. _

She sent a silent apology through a slightly pained expression on her face, but Chinggis made no notice of it as he continued to avoid contact with her eyes. Beneath her feet, she felt the vibrations of the water flowing in the deeply buried pipes and the distant roar of an underground water source far into the earth. She felt the water that lay in her body and in the bodies of all those around her, including her opponent.

_I never lose,_ Lluvia thought sadly to herself.

"Begin," the moderator said and disappeared.

Chingis jettisoned towards a still standing Lluvia, a kunai brandished and a cold lethality glimmering in his eyes. Lluvia pulled out her own kunai and held it up just in time to block the oncoming strike. The sound of metal against metal echoed eerily through the stadium, and Lluvia stood with one leg back and one leg foreword as she pressed her kunai against his. Their strength was evenly matched. Her face was a little over a foot away from his at that moment, and she couldn't help but noticed that though his face was facing towards hers, his eyes were still slightly averted, avoiding direct eye contact. It was almost as if he were half asleep. His movements proved otherwise.

A punch came flying at Lluvia's head, then a kick and another kick. If she wasn't dodging with her well trained reflexes, she would have had her face hammered by his knuckles and then his heels. The blade of the kunai he held in hand came at her and she blocked each strike, the clang of metal filling the air like a dull, passionless tune. She realized just how skilled he was, that he was at least at her level of hand to hand combat taijutsu.

"They're really good," Naruto commented with a nodding approval to Shino and Orochimaru up in the balcony.

Like the attentive student of ninjitsu that he was, Orochimaru analyzed the movements of the opponents below.

_Both are sloppy, as if they have not had proper training. No surprise considering the villages they've come from. But despite that, they've managed to attain an impressive level of taijitsu ability. Hmm…, if I had only known about them sooner. They would have made wonderful recruits for the Otogakure no Sato (Hidden Sound Village). My expert training and modifications to their bodies would make them formidable tools for my purposes indeed. There's still time yet,_ Orochimaru thought to himself.

Chingis suddenly broke away from their hand to hand. Lluvia looked at him with curiousity, wondering what it was he was going to do next. She knew she should be bringing out her higher level techniques to finish this quickly, but she also knew that when she did do so, she that would be the moment when she would have to kill him. Just when she was scolding herself inwardly for hesitating on her task, she was struck by a stream of lightening. She felt the electricity coursing through her body, rising out of the ground to kill her. But to her surprise, it caused no pain. The strike ended, and, save for a few tattered bits of her clothing, she was unscathed.

Un-phased, Chingis was upon her again, but as he sped towards her, she noticed he was doing something unexpected.

Instead of brandishing another weapon, he flung the kunai in his hand to the ground. As it embedded itself into the brown earth, Chingis pulled off one of his gloves and reached a bare hand out at her. Instinctively, she blocked with her arm, bringing her forearm up to block her face from Chingis' oncoming hand. But instead of pushing her arm away, he grabbed onto its bandaged surface.

The crowd gasped at the next thing they saw. All of the bandages on Lluvia's blocking arm suddenly disintegrated into ash and floated away in the breeze in a stream of dust. Chingis's hand held onto the now bare skin of Lluvia's arm.

Shock and puzzled by the turn of events, Lluvia looked at the bare hand that held onto her forearm and felt a warmth coursing out of his hand that spread throughout her body. It was a strange sensation to feel at a moment like this. It was like the drinking of a steaming cup of sweet hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, the warmth seemed to calm and relax her despite the trying circumstances she was in.

When she looked back into Chingis's face, she saw another unexpected sight. Chingis' eyes were no longer averted, he looked straight into her own. His countenance was full of shock. It looked like he was just as surprised as she was at what had just happened.

Llluvia yanked her arm out of his grip and jumped back away from him. Chingis seemed to snap out of his shock and flung his loose glove on the ground. With his bare hand, he pulled off the glove of his other hand and charged at Lluvia again. He reached for her again, puzzling the audience above and Lluvia herself because he wasn't striking at her so much as trying to grab her arms and legs.

Llluvia deflected his strange onslaught. She pushed aside his hands with her own. Each time their hands touched, Lluvia felt the coursing warmth again, and her eyes were full of confusion at the situation. What was even stranger was at each touch, Chingis looked as if he were more and more disturbed by the turn of events. His hand brushed against the bandages on her other arm and they, too disintegrated into thin air. Her legs kicked to block his attacks as well, and as his fingers brushed against the bandages on her legs, they floated away as ashen dust as well.

"What is he…" Naruto wondered out loud. Along with everyone else there, he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

_Interesting…_Orochimaru thought, fighting the urge again to lick his lips in hungry admiration of the new nijitsu he saw before him.

The Raikage sitting on high was the only one who was disturbed not because of the strangeness of Chingis' attacks but at the fact that his attacks were proving ineffective.

"Impossible," he couldn't help muttering under his breath.

Tsunade turned to him in curiosity, seeing the unhappy and surprised look on his face.

The Raikage sat in continued astonishment as he watched his village's champion make contact again and again with the bare skin of his opponent's now uncovered arms and legs. He couldn't understand why those arms and legs weren't disintegrating the way the bandages had.

_What is she…_he thought quietly to him self. No one had ever survived Chingis's lethal touch before.

The two combatants broke apart from each other for a respite. Both were breathing heavily.

Llluvia realized that she had no choice now but to resort to her deadliest attack. She had trained in it before, controlling the movements of a victim through controlling the water that was fully integrated into their bodies. The human body was in fact mostly water after all.

Chingis stood up in stiff manner, and from his expression of bewilderment, he had apparently stood up unwillingly. Lluvia stood up as well, but naturally of her own accord. She had her eyes fixed solidly on her opponent's form.

"You have fought well today…" Lluvia began and faltered. She knew now that she had won. She could effortlessly will his water-filled body to explode at any moment. She began again.

"For the honor of my village, I'm afraid…I'm afraid that I will…have to…"

Lluvia looked into Chingis's dark brown eyes with her own light brown ones.

"Why do you hesitate."

Chingis's voice was that of a young man. It came from under the mask that covered his mouth. From where Lluvia stood, she could see his mouth moving underneath the black cloth as he spoke. He question did not sound the way a question usually sounds. It was flat and monotone, more of a statement or a command than a question.

Lluvia did not respond.

"Why do you hesitate," Chingis began again, "when you are obviously the victor here. My abilities have no effect on you. Finish your task. I am ready to die."

He said so with such cold emptiness in his voice that it caused an ache in Lluvia; it revived in her the feeling of loneliness that she so often tried to stave off. His last sentence reverberated through her being.

"Why are you so ready to die," Lluvia finally replied in a similar monotone voice, but with a hint of sadness infused in her speech. She spoke not so much to him as she asked the question of herself.

"Your abilities are superior to mine. This is the limit of my usefulness. Useless things have no place in this world," Chingis replied plainly.

"You…you have nothing else to live for?" Lluvia almost pleaded with him, as if she were hoping the answer would help her understand why she was hear to kill him.

"I am a tool. Nothing more. A useless tool is no tool at all. There is no need for me to live on."

Lluvia felt her heart break. The words Chingis spoke felt like they were spoken from the depths of her own soul. For all the years she had been used for the gain of others, though she knew that she was helping to protect what she wanted to protect, she was now to be a weapon of death as well. She had hoped that with her strength, her unique abilities, she could continue to avoid killing in order to protect that which she had deemed worthy of such effort. She thought, of all the things in her life, not to kill would be one thing she could choose to uphold of her own free will. But here she was now, stronger than her opponent, yet forced to kill for the sake of politics. She realized then that no amount of physical strength, no amount of ninjitsu techniques, no quantity of demon power could make her anymore than a tool for someone else to employ.

She released Chingis from her hold. Chingis felt the control of his body returning to him.

"What are you doing?" Chingis asked, his voice now changed to a tone of genuine inquiry.

"Not killing you," Lluvia said in a tired voice as she looked down wearily at the ground.

Chingis couldn't comprehend her actions.

"If you don't kill me, I will kill you," Chingis said, almost with a hint of hysteria in his voice as he struggled to make sense of the turn of events.

Lluvia raised her drained eyes up to look into his. Chingis couldn't believe what he saw on her face. It was a look of extreme fatigue, yes, but not from physical exertion. It was obvious that whatever façade she had been holding up for years upon years to cover up the pain inside had suddenly fallen apart and what she really felt was expressed now plainly on her features. The pain of a lonely, rejected life was spread across her face like an open book.

"Like you said," Lluvia began, "I am ready to die."

The look of defeat on her face was something that Chingis had not expected. Her proud presence was no more, and in its place was the shattered pieces of a long neglected soul.

For a moment, Chingis looked at her in silence, unsure of what to do, hoping for a change in her state of mind. But she continued to look at him with the same tired eyes and the same look of abject pain, wanting for him to put her out of her misery. He felt he was looking into a mirror.

Up in the balcony, Naruto's hands gripped tightly as fists against his sides. Almost instinctively, he looked up at where Gaara sat and found that Gaara had, at the same moment, looked over in his direction. He could take no more.

"STOP!" Naruto screamed, "THE MATCH IS OVER! STOP!"

Naruto was running out into the field towards the two that stood at the center of the large arena. But as he reached them, he stopped in his tracks.

Chingis had shot towards Lluvia at the last minute, his kunai brandished, the blade pressed against Lluvia's neck, drawing just the slightest sliver of blood. Naruto was shocked to silence. Death was close by, and he knew he couldn't get there in time to stop Chingis from slitting Lluvia's throat.

"Why are you stopping?" Lluvia asked, making no notice of the blade that was nicking her throat.

Chingis gave no reply, he just stood there, pressing the blade against her bare skin.

Naruto stood near by, barely breathing.

Chingis still gave no response.

"Very clever. You knew that your electric attacks would have no effect on me. So you went for a direct physical attack," Lluvia spoke as if she were just a spectator and not the one with the kunai cutting her skin.

Still Chingis did not finish what he began.

Lluvia looked over at Naruto, the yellow-spiky haired Konoha ninja that now stood only a few steps away afraid to make a single move and not knowing what to say or do to abate the situation.

She raised a hand up to Chingis's two hands that were clasped firmly on the kunai in a powerful triangular formation that provided maximum power to the strike. Her hand touched the bare skin of his wrist, then slid up to his hands gripping the kunai, one on top of the other. She wrapped her fingers gently around his hands and watched as he blinked in surprise at the sensation of her touch. Her eyes asked him the question that he seemed to understand with words, _You've never known the touch of another human being, have you?_

Chingis blinked in surprise some more in response.

"If you're not going to kill me, then let's stop this. We're stressing him out," Lluvia said with a look towards Naruto's direction. Chingis looked for a moment at the brightly colored ninja that stood just a few steps away with a definitely stressed look on his face.

Chingis allowed his hands and the dangerous kunai blade they bore to be pressed gently down by Lluvia. Slowly and cautiously, Naruto began to breathe again.

Unexpectedly, the audience suddenly broke out in cheers. They were caught up in the tension of the moment, some had been prepared to look away from what they had expected to be a gruesome scene of the death of one or the other of the two combatants. There was a relief in their cheers, a catharsis of the strain they felt earlier.

Above them, Lluvia could see her furious leader, the Amekage, storming away from where the other leaders sat. The Raikage was also storming angrily away as well but in the opposite direction. Lluvia heaved a sigh and shook her head. Then she looked at Chingis who was looking up at his angry leader and then scanning with bewildered eyes at the response of the crowd to his actions.

"Looks like we're both going to have some explaining to do," Lluvia gave a tired smile. She knew she was going to be punished for not carrying out her mission. Regardless, she held out a hand to Chingis.

"My name is Lluvia. I'm pleased to meet you."

Chingis looked down at her hand and then down at his own, un-gloved hand. He reached out his hand at first, but paused just before he touched her fingers, leaving his hand and hers hovering in mid air. He was suddenly afraid that her immunity to him was only temporary, and that if he touched her, she would disappear into another ashen cloud, another victim to his cursed body.

Lluvia immediately read his mind and took his hand without hesitation. Again, she felt the warmth passing from his hand to hers and coursing through her body.

Chingis held her hand in astonishment, still not used to the idea that she could touch him and not die instantly. Symbolically, he brought a hand up to the black cloth that covered his mouth and pulled it down to reveal his entire face.

"My name is Chingis. Pleased to meet you."

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief.

_

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Author's Note: I'm sure you all know what battle is coming up next ) Thank you all again for reading. Please look forward to the next chapter! I know I am_


	24. Chapter 24

_Note: Well, here are the fruits of my procrastinating on my other duties. Before you begin this chapter, I just want all of my loyal readers to know that I appreciate your continued support and great feedback. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time, and I hope it doesn't disappoint…too much anyways haha. Also, I want to let you know that though this seems like a culminating last chapter, there is still more to come because the Jinchuriki plotline is still unfinished. Please enjoy: Chuunin Exam Final! FIGHTO!_

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All The Difference 24

Sakura stared out into the darkness from her perch up in the balcony with the other candidates. The injured candidates had returned from the treatment room. Sakura and Kiba had a few bandages here and there, but it looked like they weren't seriously injured at all and had healed nicely thanks to some expert medical ninjitsu supplied by Hinata and Shizune-san among other well trained medical nin.

She heaved a sigh as she listened to the chatter about her while she sat there unhappily blind as a bat. Orochimaru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" he pretended to be concerned.

"Yeah, just disappointed I won't be able to see the fight," Sakura looked up to where she guessed Sasuke's face would be, "This blindness lasts for about a day."

Orochimaru put on the most sympathetic smile he could muster, while he was analyzing the Genwaku Hyuuga technique and very intrigued by its execution and effects.

"That won't be a problem, Sakura," Hinata's soft voice broke through Sakura's disappointment and Orochimaru's false empathy.

Sakura felt a cool touch of a delicate, calloused hand lay atop her own. She turned towards the direction where Hinata's voice had come from and gasped in shock as she suddenly regained sight and found herself looking into her own surprised face.

"Hinata?" Sakura said in surprise, thinking Hinata had somehow used some henge and turned herself into a Sakura-look-alike. Sakura's eyes widened even more as she watched herself mouth the name 'Hinata'. When she finally oriented herself, she realized she was seeing herself through Hinata's eyes.

"What is this Hinata? Tsunade-sama never taught us this!"

"It's a technique I developed thanks to Tsunade-sama, your extra tutoring, my byakuugan specialties, and Kyubi-chan's example."

"Kyubi-chan helped you develop this?" Sakura exclaimed in surprised as she watched the image of herself saying those words with wide eyes.

"Yes, I'll tell you about it later."

Before Sakura could exclaim again how amazing the technique was again, a loud, echoing announcement broke through the hum of chatter in the stadium.

"Uzumaki Naruto vs. Uchiha Sasuke!"

Roaring approval filled the stadium arena. Everyone had guessed who the next pair of opponents would be from the naming of the previous pair, but they had been waiting to hear the announcement to break out into true hysteria. The explosiveness was contagious.

Many had come to the event just to see this particular battle between Uchiha and Uzumaki. They had hoped that at some point in the competition, they would see the two face off, if not in the first round of fights, then in the final round between victors of previous fights. They marveled at their luck, that the fight would come so soon. The excitement was pervasive. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya sat up in their seats in anticipation. A showdown between the prized students of two legendary sannin was all ready a fight worth seeing, but to see the new Uchiha Sasuke, new after training with the infamous Orochimaru, fight with the Uzumaki boy, well known now as a pupil of the sannin Jiraiya, was like watching a battle between light and shadow.

Sakura felt Sasuke's warm arms wrap around her and give her a hug.

"Ganbatte," she said with a smile as his arms slipped away from her.

Naruto gave Hinata a similar hug, then put his face up close to Hinata's face and peered into one of her eyes with one of his own as if he were looking through a peep hole in a door. Sakura made a face at the view of Naruto's eye so up close and the strangeness of his behavior.

"See you after I beat up your boyfriend Sakura," Naruto said in a taunting voice. He stood back a bit and waved slyly at Hinata's eyes with a conniving smile.

"You wish," Sakura said with competitive smile.

Naruto kissed Hinata on the forehead and joined Orochimaru who was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, smiling as if he was enjoying the friendly banter. He glanced quickly at the Hyuuga girl, thinking about what a wonderful specimen she would make for his research.

The two young men walked to the center of the arena bathed in the thick sound waves of the crowd's approval. No other pair had had such a reception at the beginning of their fights. They were like rock stars.

Naruto, of course, was enjoying every moment of it. He was jumping up and down and waving his hands at the crowd soaking in all of their cheers like a gluttonous sponge with a big toothy grin plastered across his face.

Orochimaru walked on calmly, showing no reaction to the cheers, both because it was not in his nature to seek the approval of others and because he knew Sasuke would take such attention with cool repose. When they reached the center, Naruto held his fist up pointed at him. For a moment, he looked at it a little puzzled, then realized what the gesture was. He had seen the Hyuuga and Haruno girls do the same. It was a gesture of mutual encouragement and comradery. Orochimaru smiled thinking of his silly ex-teammate, Jiraiya, and his ridiculous sentimental ways, the importance he put on the useless thing called friendship, but he passed it off as an approving smile of Naruto's gesture. He held up his own fist and knocked it against Naruto's.

_Well,_ he thought to himself in ironic logic, _at least it'll be put to good use today for the further advancement of ninjitsu._

The cheers slowly died down, and the audience braced themselves for the match. As the silence grew, Naruto and Orochimaru heard a few voices that refused to abate.

"Ganbatte! Naruto! Sasuke!" chimed in some young voices. The two combatants looked up into the crowd and saw the waving arms and legs of their Konoha peers. Ino, Chouji, Neji, Tenten, Rock, and even the usually laid back Shikamaru were screaming their hearts out. Up in the balcony where they had come from were Sakura, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba and Akamaru. Even Chingis and Lluvia stood at the fence of the balcony, interested in seeing what all the commotion was about.

Naruto waved energetically up at all of them and exchanged a brilliant smile with Hinata. Orochimaru raised a hand up and humored the young ninjas, throwing Sakura another one of Sasuke's handsome smiles.

"Gyaaaahhh! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura joked light-heartedly, re-enacting her fangirl days, then she and Hinata broke out into joyful laughter. Naruto chuckled.

"You still hit it big with the ladies," he threw Orochimaru a wry smile.

"Ah," Orochimaru responded with a fake look of amusement.

Finally, the young Konoha Nin settled themselves. The moderator who had been waiting patiently for them to scream their fill, spoke.

"Ready…"

The two young men braced themselves, Sasuke's dark hair contrasting sharply with Naruto's bright yellow.

Naruto brought his fists up in front of his face that was full of anticipation. He put a foot behind, stabilizing his stance for an onslaught.

Orochimaru stood with his hands held slightly alert down by his waist and put one foot in front of him in preparation. It was all for show. He could beat Naruto without lifting a finger, but he wanted all to believe that it was truly Sasuke killing Naruto. The corner of his mouth curved up in a smile as he thought of the superb theatrics he would put on to convince spectators of Sasuke's deep pain when Naruto was no more. He didn't look forward to feeling the real pain itself, as the remaining portion of Sasuke's consciousness would no doubt bring forth for the sake of activating the Mangekyo Sharingan, but Orochimaru didn't fear the pain itself so much as he felt disgust that pain should be wasted on something so useless as friendship.

"Begin."

Simultaneously, both ninjas shot foreword in an intense start off. The crowd watched with dropped jaws and eyes peeled to the action.

The two opponents moved so fast in their taijutsu that at moments, their limbs blurred and seemed to disappear and then reappear at the intended target. They exchanged blows, dodged, and blocked in what looked like pre-choreographed precision. Using basic body-flicker technique, they almost seemed to circle each other in an eerie, breath-taking dance, revealing only small enticing bits of the action to an eagerly watching crowd. It was breath-taking.

Sasuke's body suddenly jumped towards Naruto's direction and bent forwards reaching down for the earth between them. His left hand took root on the ground, and his right leg flew up behind and foreword, his ankle coming down at Naruto with 360 degrees of momentous power in a highly skilled axe kick. The crowd broke out into some "woahs" in admiration of the elegantly executed move, but before the sound could finish coming out of their mouths, Naruto brought his own right leg to swing around in a simple round house kick, pushing Sasuke's linear onslaught harmlessly to the side with his own circuitous style. But Orochimaru adapted quickly, allowing the force from his pushed aside leg to swing to the side as he swung that leg full circle back over at Naruto who matched that move with another twirling kick from his other leg. Sasuke's body dropped and brought a circling drop kick that drew a circle across the ground aimed at Naruto's ankles, an attempt to throw him off his feet. Naruto responded with a jump and then a drop to his hands, swinging his straightened legs around in what looked like a very fancy, fast moving break dance move, returning Orochimaru's move with a heightened version of the same thing.

Orochimaru jumped up and flipped backwards through the air, breaking away from the brawl. Naruto controlled the centrifugal force he had gathered in his countermove and threw his lower body up into the air, twisting so as to land on his feet on the earth as agile as a cat.

They stood for a moment, catching their breaths, Naruto smiling at Orochimaru with an intense smile on his face that showed that he was thoroughly enjoying every moment. Orochimaru mimicked his smile with Sasuke's face for effect.

"You're holding back on me, I can feel it," Naruto accused in an attempt to goad on his opponent and elevate the fight to the next level.

"Speak for yourself," Orochimaru returned the push.

"All right," Naruto pushed back the sleeves of his jacket a little for dramatic emphasis, "You asked for it." He pulled out two hands full of kunai and sent them flying at Orochimaru.

"Hidden Kunai!"

Before Naruto finished calling out his attack, Sasuke's voice overlapped with Naruto's.

"Sharingan!"

In a flash, Sasuke's eyes switched to the fiery, blood red iris with three black swirls circling his pupil like sharks stalking prey before a fatal strike. Simultaneously, his arms rose up in front of him, and his next technique was called immediately after the first.

"Sen'eitajashu (Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand)!"

Out of his sleeves flowed a series of giant snakes that whirled about his body in a giant protective sphere made of an uncanny mass of slimy serpentine bodies. The kunai, both metal and chakra made, slashed at the snakes and they fell apart sickeningly in lumps of cut up, slithering flesh that continued to twist and move grotesquely before disappearing into puffs of smoke. The audience, though as wowed by this move as any other, couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in their seats. The sacrificial nature of the Uchiha boy's defense strategy was by far the most disturbing sight they'd seen in that day full of excitement. Uchiha Sasuke, they concluded, truly was a student of Orochimaru.

"I've all ready seen that technique all ready," Orochimaru taunted, just barely hiding the rasp of his own cruel voice.

"Hmph," Naruto returned unjaded with a wry smile, "Fine, your move then, then I'll show you what I can do."

Orochimaru smiled genuinely. It was obvious Naruto had used that move simply to push this fight to its brink, so that whatever the outcome, it was going to be a grand one. Naruto would settle for nothing less in a battle with a best friend. Orochimaru had to admire Naruto's guts for glory.

Surprising many of the onlookers, Orochimaru turned suddenly and began to run away from Naruto, but before they could turn to each other and ask what he was doing, he reached the wall at the far end of the arena and began to run up its long side. He stopped at the top edge of the thick concrete wall which was even higher than where the stadium spectators sat. They had to look up and squint in the glare of the sunlight that hung above to see his figure at the top of the impressive structure.

He took a familiar stance that many in the stadium had seen before at the last Chuunin exam. Sasuke's knees bent as his left hand held onto the opposing forearm, and his right hand lowered, his fingers curled up in an angry claw with his palm facing down. In anticipation, those in the know waited for him to call out the Chidori (Thousand Birds), the move they had seen him execute against Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage.

"Oi, Naruto! No more playing around. Let's finish this," Orochimaru called down into the arena below with a wild smile that Naruto could barely make out.

Naruto took a few wide jumps backwards so that his back was close the wall opposite the one that Sasuke stood on. He held out his own right hand in response, his fingers also curled up in an angry claw, but palm up instead. As the chakra began to flow out of Naruto's hand and form the swirling sphere of the Rasengan, Sasuke's hand also began to glow with the electric build up of his technique.

The contrast between the two looked like yin and yang, one preparing for an upwards attack, the other for a downwards one.

"Rasengan!"

Naruto's voice yelled out in excited, energetic anticipation that was shared by the crowd. Situated above his head a bit to his right, Hinata looked down over the balcony standing next to Sakura, her blue hair hanging over a bit past her face and over the side as she stared down. She had mixed feelings at that moment. She felt joy for Naruto for being able to fight his friend like this and to be acknowledged as a strong Konoha ninja by the ninja world. She wanted to scream "Ganbatte!" just one more time, hoping that he would win, but remained silent for fear of distracting him. At the same time, she was worried, hoping also that he would emerge from the battle, whatever the result, safe and with no fatal or serious injury. She clasped a hand against her chest, as if to beg some unknown entity to keep her Naruto safe and wished him strength to win his battle. The wind from his Rasengan twirled up the stadium wall and reached her in a pleasant breeze. She could almost smell his essence riding upon its wings. She smiled, somehow knowing all would be well.

Up on the wall, Sasuke's hand grew brighter and brighter as it glowed with the electric force of his intensely molded chakra and the sound of a thousand birds filled the air. Everyone's eyes were on Sasuke, waiting for him to call his technique. Tsunade and Jiraiya, however, were squinting at Sasuke's face. The smile upon the young man's countenance was somehow familiar to them, and they even exchanged a wary look in the midst of all the excitement. Not having enough to make any decisive conclusions, they sat at the edge of their seats, unwilling to break off the long anticipated fight between two friends, between two excellent Konoha ninja. No one had looked forward to this fight more than Naruto and Sasuke. Tsunade and Jiraiya understood this well.

"Rai…kiri…(Lighting…blade…)"

With his eyes blood red and swirling, Orochimaru spoke the words plainly with little emotion for dramatic effect. Down in the stands below his high perch, Kakashi thought quietly to himself, _Hmh, so he's finally gotten to this level…_

The proud teacher listened as the sound of a thousand birds elevated to such a high intensity and speed that it became a single, ear-piercing stream of noise hitting a single insanely high note that caused many to cover their ears in irritation.

Down below, something surprising began to happen around Naruto's body. The pleasant wind that was encircling his body and causing his clothes and hair to wave was picking up speed. His clothing now flapped angrily as he stood in the eye of an amazingly controlled tornado that was beginning to take bits off of the wall behind him. Though invisible to the human eye at first, everyone soon noticed that Naruto's self-made twister was starting to make strange marks upon the wall behind him, as if within its deadly winds floated a thousand knives. It was only the users of the byakuugan who were able to see the chakra knives that were infused into the tornado winds.

"Hidden Kunai Rasengufu!"

Naruto called out his attacks with a pleased smile upon his face.

Hiashi shook his head in amazement and thought to himself, _three high level chakra techniques used simultaneously in one hybrid attack full of offensive and defensive advantages…his wish to be Hokage may not be so far off._

Orochimaru paused a moment, appreciating the impressiveness of Naruto's chakra stamina, and then began his decent down the wall, dragging his Raikiri slightly behind him, its powerful, lightning sharp blade carving a deep creviced path in the wall he ran down its side. Naruto took the cue and bounded forwards, bringing with him not just the powerful Rasengan he had molded in the palm of his hand, but the entire storm of a chakra knife filled tornado charging towards Sasuke's oncoming form.

It was surely a clash between Naruto's circuitous style and Sasuke's linear strike.

Orochimaru enjoyed the thrill of flying down the side of the wall with one of the strongest ninjitsu techniques in the world pulsing and alive in his right hand. He saw Naruto's techniques, and, despite the intensity of the moment, was able to appreciate the strength of the young ninja and think to himself, _What a pity…_

The infamous sannin knew that if it had been Sasuke's own level of ability, the whirling techniques the Uzumaki boy used would probably be able to deflect Sasuke's move slightly, rendering it useless as it would miss its mark. Unlike Jiraiya's Rasen styles, the Raikiri depended heavily upon accuracy for effectiveness—but if it hit its mark, its effectiveness was unparalleled.

With his own level of chakra flow, control, and strength, Orochimaru knew that the Uzumaki boy was no match. He thrilled as he neared his prey, a yellow-haired boy surrounded by the whirling mass of wind and chakra. As he made contact with the tornado's edge, he made no attempt to hide the ecstatic, psychotic smile that spread across Sasuke's now sadistic face as the Raikiri cut easily through the swirling mass, through the storm of chakra knives, and headed for its mark at the center.

Naruto saw the look on Sasuke's face as his friend emerged through the storm at him. It was a twisted smile, a heartless joy that he saw, something he could never imagine on his friend's face. And in that split second, he realized, he was no longer looking into the face of his friend. In shock, he realized simultaneously that the momentum of his body was too great, and his proximity to his target too tight, for him to avoid the imminent head on collision.

The Raikiri and the Rasengan made contact, and Naruto watched in horror as the Raikiri cut slowly through the Rasengan like a drill boring through a ball made of stone. The Rasengan dispersed, and Naruto had little choice but to brace for the hit. It would cut through his hand and impale him in a matter of seconds.

He waited for the feeling of the cut that would split open his hand, felt the beginnings of the burns from the heat of the Raikiri, but he felt something else as well. It was Sasuke's left hand. It had reached out amazingly ahead of the Riakiri and had grabbed a hold of Naruto's right wrist. It all seemed to happen in slow motion for Naruto. He felt himself pulled barely to the side and watched as Sasuke's right hand changed its trajectory ever so slightly, moving in a curve that was barely noticeable taking the strike away from Naruto's body.

Naruto couldn't help but look down in front of him aas the Raikiri brushed past his chest. He knew he was one of the few in the world who would ever see this incredible technique this close up. The fantastic sight came with a price. He felt the searing pain of a burned cut forming across his chest.

Naruto fell through his own Rasengufu Hidden Kunai storm, cut shallowly in a few places by his own hybrid technique, but nothing compared to the pain he felt across his chest.

As he hit the earth, rolled across it like a rag doll, and threw up dust and clod alike, his immediate instinct was the clutch his chest in a feeble attempt to abate the searing pain. He felt little to no blood gushing out of his chest; the wounded flesh was cauterized by the intense heat of the Raikiri.

He painfully struggled to his feet, hand still clutched to chest as he tried to see through the dust and smoke, looking desperately for the body of his friend.

The crowd above him was shocked into silence. They had seen only shadows of what happened inside the storm and could only guess as to what had transpired at the moment of contact. They watched with surprise as the two ninjas flung out in opposite directions, sideways out of the storm, Naruto rolling unceremoniously onto the earth and Sasuke smashing into a far wall creating a complete hole all the way through the thick concrete mass. The blue sky and Konoha village sights peeked through the new, tunneled entrance to the stadium.

Then a horrific scream echoed through the arena, a blood-curdling banchee's cry that made every hair stand on end and every spine tingle in fear.

"SASAUKE-KUN! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Naruto watched horrified as the dust and smoke settled away and out from its mysterious cover emerged an unrecognizable form.

It was Sasuke, what was left of him at least. His body was covered in the black marks of the cursed seal, spread over his skin like dark flames burning through his flesh. His face was partially changed into the mutated black mark that Naruto remembered seeing when he fought him on the lake so many years ago. One eye looked out with the red sharingan bloodline limit. The other was a sickeningly yellow snake's eye with a slit black pupil cutting across a putrid yellow iris.

Sasuke/Orochimaru screamed again in pain, and out from one side of Sasuke's back grew a large grotesque hand shaped wing, an unnatural atrocity that Naruto also remembered from when Sasuke gave in completely to the cursed seal's effects.

Sasuke's body stood bent like a hunchback with the abomination growing out of his back. The other hand shaped wing began to grow out of his back, but it seemed to stop in mid growth, leaving it a sad and even more disgusting in comparison to its fully grown counterpart.

"Sasuke…" the name slipped out of Naruto's mouth as if it came from a distance memory. Through his mind flashed images of their childhood together, two orphan children, kindred spirits in a world where it seemed like everyone else belonged except for them…their times at the academy, with Sasuke always at the top of the class, and Naruto always at the bottom…what they accomplished as a team, together with Kakashi sensei and Sakura, out in the ninja world…their growing brotherhood.

The deformed creature that struggled to stay standing and quivered and trembled as if it was assaulted by harsh winter winds brought a sickening sensation to every stomach. Its hands were pressed against the sides of its head as if they were trying to hold it together and tear it apart at the same time. It stepped forward slowing, one painstaking step after another, as it struggled its way towards Naruto in at an agonizing pace. Soon, Naruto and what was left of Sasuke stood but a few yards apart.

Around the two friends suddenly appeared a number of people. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Anko, Kurenai, and Asuma stood in a complete circle around the two friends. Naruto, breaking away from his shock long enough to notice their presence, realized as he saw them standing around him in silent repose and with solemn expressions that they were waiting respectfully for him to bid farewell to his friend before they bore down on Orochimaru. The Chuunin exams had once again been brought to a screeching halt by Konoha's most infamous ninja.

"Naruto…" Sasuke's weak voice broke the silence.

"Naruto…there's…there's no reversing this jutsu…all my memories…they're gone…all I have left…" Sasuke spoke in a quivering voice, obviously trying desperately to maintain control.

"All I have left…is one last wish…the will…to die…and take Orochimaru with me…"

Tsunade's eye twitched. Even with two sannin and the group of high level Jounin, it was most likely they would not be able to contain Orochimaru. With full control of the Uchiha body, Tsunade knew that when the fight began, it was most likely that Orochimaru would be killed along with what was left of the Uchiha boy. All Anbu and active ninja had been put on high alert a minute earlier. If Orochimaru had any back up infiltrated into the stadium or village, they would have an impossible time getting to him. This was the final chance to put an end to the terror that was Orochimaru, and unfortunately, the two fine young ninjas that stood before her were caught up in the middle of the deadly crossfire.

"Naruto…remember what you said…that if I came back as Orochimaru's puppet…you…you would kill me…"

Naruto's brow furrowed in anger and frustration. In his stomach and chest his body seemed to wrench and fold in on itself. This couldn't be happening.

"…and…here I am…it's time…"

Sasuke turned his deformed face to look left and right at the top Konoha nins ready to execute him. He managed a sad smile.

"…I…I want you to do it…Naruto…"

Naruto gritted his teeth. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Sasuke!"

Sakura's familiar voice came from behind him, and the next thing he knew, Sakura came into view in front of him lead by the hand by an earnest Hinata.

Sakura slipped her hand up to Hinata's wrist and grabbed it with force. Then she threw Hinata towards Naruto. Instinctively, Naruto's arms reach out and caught his girl, wincing in pain as her back hit the cauterized wound across his chest.

Everyone held their breaths as they stared at Sakura, who had slowed to a walk and was groping blindly forward towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" she called out to him, hardly hiding the quivering in her voice. She sounded as if she was about to break out in sobs.

"Sakura! NO! STAY AWAY!" Sasuke's voice cracked with desperation as he cried out for her to stop while watching with horror as she made her way towards him. His body shook even more. All around, the Konoha nin struggled with the desire to run forward and pull her away from Orochimaru. With or without sight, she was absolutely no match for him. At the same time, they could not deny her right to go to what was left of her beloved.

"SAKURA! NO! STAY BACK!" he screamed again frantically, all the while oblivious to the fact that it was his screaming that was leading the blinded Sakura directly to him.

She reached him, and her outstretched hands that groped in the darkness found his face. His skin was strange and leathery, and it was burning hot, as if he had a lethally high fever. She slipped both her hands up his cheeks, and held his face cradled between her palms. His hair brushed roughly and unpleasantly against her fingers and hands. She noticed all of these details and made not notice of them.

For an excruciating moment, they stood there, Sakura holding Sasuke's face affectionately, tears streaming uncontrollably down from her glimmering, blinded turquoise eyes. The remnants of Naruto's Rasen attacks swirled as a pleasant breeze around the stadium. Every lock of hair and loose bit of clothing flapped peacefully in the zephyr.

Naruto's voice broke the mind-numbing silence.

"SASUKE! GANBATTE!"

"Ganbatte Sasuke!" Hinata's voice chimed in soon after.

Then Sasuke heard more.

"Come on Sasuke! Don't give in to that jerk!" Kiba's voice sounded loud and strong.

"Sou! Sasuke! You're too cool for him!" Ino added.

"Take him down Sasuke!" Tenten yelled.

"Sasuke! Show him what a Konoha prodigy can do!" Neji called out.

"Beat him Sasuke!" Rock Lee encouraged.

"GO Sasuke!" Chouji screamed.

"You will not lose, Sasuke," Shino's stable tone added.

"Come on Sasuke, beat him all ready so I can go back to my seat," Shikamaru finished off and then had to dodge a giant fan that had just come flying in his direction.

Sasuke turned his head and saw his friends all around him; they had situated themselves between himself and the senior nins. Their voices, their eyes, their movements continued to cheer him on. Surrounded by the sounds of their cheering, Sasuke looked back to the upset face of young woman who stood in front of him holding his grotesque face affectionately in her hands.

"Sasuke, please, you promised…" she pleaded one last time.

_Mangekyo…sharingan…_

Sasuke heard the slithery voice of Orochimaru as the sannin pushed his way to the surface of their shared body.

_Mangekyo…sharingan…_

The voice grew louder. Sasuke watched in horror as his hands slowly raised unwillingly up and his fingers slipped neatly around Sakura's throat.

_Mangekyo…sharingan…_

"GANBATTE! SASUKE!" the voices of Naruto and the others were unceasing.

Sakura lifted her chin to let Sasuke have a better grip of her throat. Sasuke's eyes widened. She smiled in return, her eyes still brimming and streaming with tears. Sasuke looked into the peaceful pools of turquoise that looked so lovingly back at him.

"SASUKE! GANBATTE!" his friends continued.

Sasuke's fingers began to tighten around Sakura's neck. Sakura gasped for air, then said in a strained voice as her windpipe was slowly squeezed,

"Sasuke…ganbatte…"

Hanging off the side of a cliff with death lingering below his dangling feet waiting for him to let go, Sasuke reached a hand up and found a firm hold on the edge of his sanity.

_Mangekyo…sharin…_

"You will not."

Sasuke spoke out loud. His voice was firm, commanding, and strong. Throughout his consciousness memories were popping up left and right. His life seemed to flash before his eyes. He saw the Uchiha clan, his family having dinner together, practicing kunai throwing with his brother, racing up trees with Naruto, traveling with team Kakashi, training with Kakashi sensei, fighting in the Chuunin exams, BBQ with his friends, his first kiss with Sakura…it all came flooding back to him like it was never gone in the first place.

Within, Orochimaru felt a strange sensation. He felt an emptiness growing from the center of his consciousness. One part after another of his sentience began to blot out as if someone were going across the power board of his life and turning off all the switches. Lights were going out left and right, and the darkness grew.

_NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!..._

Orochimaru realized in terror that Sasuke's neuronal network was reorganizing itself back to its previous states, that Orochimaru's imposed structures were snapping apart and resuming their previous positions. His imposed network was still new and weak, but he still could not fathom how he could be beat out by a silly boy moved and motivated by such weaknesses as love, loyalty, and friendship. Orochimaru thought of how his own logic was flawless; his will and determination was strong. He could not possibly be losing out to this fickle youth of a host.

Sasuke could sense the remaining thoughts of Orochimaru. He responded simply with a single sentence.

"You're logic is flawed."

Sasuke's voice spoke again out loud, and what was left of Orochimaru's consciousness reeled in astonishment from the sureness in the voice of his host. But Orochimaru had little enough left of his mind to even begin to fathom the meaning of Sasuke's abstract statement.

What was left could only manage one last scream, a soul shaking howl that was heard by Sasuke and Sasuke alone, as it echoed and faded from his mind like a dark cloud evaporating harmlessly into thin air.

With their eyes still fixed upon Sasuke and Sakura, as she held his face and he her throat, the calls of encouragement from Sasuke's friends suddenly stopped in response to a strange sight.

From Sasuke's body seemed to rise a dark substance, it was both smoke and flame, almost like black steam evaporating off of every part of him. It left his body silently like dust and rose up into the sky, twirled a bit in the wind, and disappeared into nothingness. As this silent blackness left his body, Sasuke's deformities started to fade. The grotesque arms on his back did not retreat back into his body. Instead, the abnormal flesh seemed to dissipate as the black substance wafted off his body. The black flames that had spread over his skin seemed to float off particle by particle until only his natural skin remained. Sakura watched as his red Sharingan eye and the yellow snake eye faded back into the natural dark pupils that looked upon her with concern. The rough, leathery-ness of his skin was disappearing and the fever was cooling. His hands were loosening from a malicious grip to a tender touch.

Yards away, Anko felt a slight tingling sensation where her neck and her left shoulder met. She turned her head and gasped when she saw in the corner of her eye that the same black evaporation on Sasuke's body was happening in small scale on her own shoulder.

Sakura's eyes searched Sasuke's face as it regained its normal appearance. Her thumbs brushed across his cheeks questioningly, asking without words whether he was all right or not.

"Sakura," Sasuke said with a voice infused with mental and physical exhaustion.

Then his face broke out in a weak smile, "I won."

With that he closed his eyes and fell forward, his hands leaving her throat and falling listlessly down. Sakura caught him in her arms, falling to her knees under both his physical weight and her own emotional exhaustion. Naruto and the others were quick to her side, surrounding her and Sasuke in a tight, protective circle, and they watched eagerly as her fingers reached up to his forehead and she closed her eyes to exam him.

For a moment, they stood, holding their breaths, scarce daring to believe that Orochimaru was indeed gone and that they had their friend back.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked up at all of them.

"He's okay! He's okay! Oh my god he's okay!" Sakura said, her eyes brimming with a fresh new flow of tears. Tsunade broke into the circle.

"Are you sure, Sakura?" she asked with a serious look.

"Positive," Sakura breathed with a bright smile of relief. Tsunade put her finger up to Sasuke's head and conducted her own examination. When she finished, she smiled.

"You've far surpassed me in your psychological ninjitsu," Tsunade said, knowing full well that if anyone could give Sasuke a clean bill of health, it would be the leading expert on psychological healing Konoha had. She smiled proudly at her student, then stood up and made the announcement.

"The Sannin Orochimaru is no more," she said, her authoritative voice echoing with presence throughout the arena. The crowd responded with roaring applause and cheers. Tsunade felt the showers of rejoicing sounds fall upon her, and she smiled sadly.

_Well, Sarutobi sensei, it is done…_she thought to herself as she remembered her time with Orochimaru as his teammate and the care that the Sandaime had for his talented student, the pale and strange ambitious boy whom he had loved as one of his own.

The small group that surrounded Sasuke was laughing in relief and joy, giving Sasuke words and smiles of encouragement.

"YES! Sasuke! I knew you could do it!" Naruto's voice was louder than the rest.

Sasuke's eyes partially opened, and he smiled weakly up at everyone.

"Arigato mina (thank you everyone). I had given up, but you all helped me, helped me to remember, helped me in more ways than you know."

"Naruto…" Sasuke raised his eyes to his friend.

"Your wound?" Sasuke asked as his eyes examined the torn up clothing on Naruto's chest.

"Oh what? That? Psh, old news. All ready healed in fact," Naruto responded. He wasn't joking either. Kyubi's healing powers had all ready mended most of the damage, the remaining scar itself was on its way to disappearing for good.

The two friends exchanged a happy smile.

_

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Note: If any of you all are on Gaia online or My Space, look me up as tinabot. Just a little hint towards where the next chapters will be going, let's just say it's gonna get a little "sandy" in here…Please look forward to it!_


	25. Chapter 25

_Notes: Mega apologies for the long delay in updating. Besides working 2+ jobs at a time, a trip to AX and then Japan as a roadie for the Random Ninjas took up all my extra time. It was a blast though, and if you look up "randomninjas" on youtube, you'll see the teaser video showing a bit of the fun I had hanging out with the band and watching their shows this past month. They've got a Japan series of videos on their Tokyo show coming out over the next couple months—the teaser trailer is pretty fun so far . All the while, I've been missing this story very much, so thank you for your patience and your continued reading. All the good feedback and encouraging words from everyone has kept this fanfic alive! SANK U! (btw, this ones a bit longer than usual, too…yay!)_

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All The Difference 25 

"Enter."

Tsunade's voice was firm and authoritative in response to Lluvia's knock on her office door. Lluvia couldn't help but hesitate for a moment before opening the door. She threw Chingis a quick nervous glance to see if he felt the same apprehension, but out of habit he had on his usual blank, lifeless stare that masked whatever it was that could be going on inside of him. There was something about the Hokage that was so full of presence that it drew out of Lluvia a sense of immediate reverence. The Amekage spoke loudly and made big movements as well, but the weight of Tsunade's voice was not a forced strength. Instead, it was like a deep gushing flow of spirit power that seemed to come from a sacred place within her soul.

The Jinchuriki from the Amegakure and Kumogakure had been summoned to the Hokage's office early in the morning. They were not surprised to meet each other at the front steps of the main Konoha office building. Without a word of goodbye, their respective leaders had unceremoniously left right after the end of the battle between the champions of their villages at the Chuunin exams a week before. Lluvia and Chingis had been abandoned by their leaders, left behind at the Konoha village. The two demon carriers had been under close observation, but they made no sudden moves, accepting the hospitality of the people of Konoha politely and without incident. They kept to themselves and to the relief of the Konoha ninjas so far, gave little cause for alarm.

Today, it seemed the Hokage had determined what to do with them. LLuvia was curious to see what the Hokage's verdict was. She wasn't sure herself what she was going to do. The last few days had been solitary and contemplative. Nevertheless, she had come up with no new answers for herself. Though she knew the Amekage and the other Amegakure nin were upset over her failure to achieve total victory, Lluvia also knew that they were glad to have a reason to rid themselves of her. Demons were not welcomed easily anywhere. She truly had no place to go, no one to go home to. She always knew she was utterly alone in this world, but now she felt it more than ever for she didn't have a purpose to live for anymore.

Chingis and Lluvia filed into the office of the Hokage and stood respectfully at attention in front of her desk. Tsunade looked them over and heaved a sigh.

"As you know, your leaders left without a word to us," Tsunade said, not making any attempt to mask the distaste she had for their actions.

"You are welcome to stay here as long as you would like, but given your…abilities, I would ask that you lend them to us in our missions."

"Of course," Lluvia responded without hesitation. Working for room and board was the least she could do, and she was hungry for something to do.

Chingis gave no response. It was as if he had lapsed back into a waking coma. Lluvia threw him a puzzled look at the same time Tsunade looked and him expectantly. Taking his silence as agreement, she continued on.

"Very well then. You understand that since you are not one of our own, I will be assigning you to work with existing teams and you will be under the supervision of Konoha ninjas at all times."

"Understood," Lluvia responded in the affirmative again, this time not bothering to look over at the silent Chingis and assuming to speak for the both of them.

"Good. Now that that's settled…" Tsunade began but a loud voice outside her door interrupted her sentence.

"You should have SEEN me fight Ero Sennin! That old pervert had no chance against me! I was like BAM! And he was like POW! Then I was like GRRRRR!"

Naruto's loud and obnoxious voice came clearly through the door and walls from the hallway outside as if it were only paper thin. The corner of Lluvia's mouth curled up in a partial smile and even the zombie-like Chingis turned to look at the door through which the noisy ninja's voice came.

Tsunade heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Right on time…I guess," the Hokage said hiding her own impulse to smile.

Naruto's voice continued to blabber on loudly, as a timid knock came on the door.

"Enter," Tsunade said again.

Opening the door was Hinata with a crowd of young Konoha ninjas filing in behind her: Tenten, Neji, Rock Lee, Kiba with a growing Akamaru, Shino, Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura and even a newly- recovered Sasuke just released from the hospital the day before. Behind them came all the sensei: Iruka, Kurenai, Asuma, Gai, and Kakashi.

"OY! TSUNADE-OBA-CHAN! I was just telling them about a battle I had with Ero Sennin! That old pervert had no chance against me! I was like BAM! And he was like POW! Then I was like GRRRRR!"

Naruto went on as Chingis and Lluvia moved aside to make way for the newcomers.

"Naruto," Tsunade said impatiently trying to cut through Naruto's boastful story.

"And then I was like RAWR! And he was like…" Naruto continued one without respite. Everyone else was all ready standing at attention waiting for Tsunade to speak.

"NA-RU-TO," Tsunade said loudly with emphasis on each syllable.

"Huh? Yeah?" Naruto finally stopped and made note of someone else speaking.

"We have some business to attend to," Tsuande said with added exasperation.

"Oh yeah, okay, I'll tell you more about it later," Naruto said, adjusting his forehead protector and oblivious overall to how loud and annoying his presence was.

The medium sized office seemed rather small now that it was filled with so many people.

Tsunade cleared her throat and looked into the expectant faces of all the young Konoha nin in the room. She nodded at the sensei and they all came and took position by her desk. Each picked up a package wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string from a stack on her desk, then turned to stand in front of their respective teams. Iruka stood next to Tsunade beaming with pride.

"After much deliberation, your sensei, the council, and I have decided to grant you the title of Konoha Chuunin with all the rights and responsibilities of that title. Congratulations."

Tsunade and the sensei stood with proud smiles. For a moment, the youth stood there in silence. They had figured that some of them would get Chuunin this time, but _all_ of them?

In the awkward silence, one hand raised.

"Yes, Shikamaru," Tsunade acknowledged.

"Does this mean I'll have less work to do?" Shikamaru said in his usual lazy voice.

A vein pulsed on Tsunade's temple.

"NO."

"Mendokuse (troublesome)," Shikamaru muttered loudly to himself.

The vein on Tsunade's temple pulsed larger and her face had a look of great irritation. She looked like she was about the throw something.

"But Hokage-sama, Chou-ji and I didn't even make it into the finals…" Ino blurted out in disbelief.

Neji's team gave each other disbelieving looks. They, too, had not made the finals this time around.

Tsunade cleared her throat again, trying to shake off the irritation she felt at both Naruto and Shikamaru at that moment.

"The title of Chuunin is not a title for a winning ninja, it is the title of a matured ninja. A winning ninja is not necessarily a mature ninja. During this exam, all of you have not only demonstrated your skills and abilities as ninjas, you've shown tactical and leadership capabilities. More than anything, you showed concern for your comrades and unity in your friendship. These are the true cornerstones of Konoha, the basis upon which my grandfather built this village. It is why Konoha is what it is today—the most powerful ninja village in the world. You have proven yourself worthy of representing that ideal."

The sensei opened the brown paper packages to reveal brand new Chuunin vests.

"YATTA! (WOOT!)" Naruto yelled with a jump and a punch up into the air. Underestimating his new height, though, his victorious fist punched right into the Hokage's office ceiling, creating a fresh new hole.

"Hahaha, ooops, gomen, hahaha," Naruto laughed a little nervously as he shook the debris off of his hand. His friends and teachers laughed lightheartedly as a book from Tsunade's desk collided with Naruto's head without warning.

They all put on their new vests, their faces beaming with pride. Naruto, who was rubbing the spot where Tsunade had hit him with a book, couldn't hide how pleased he was with himself at that moment. His face was plastered with his characteristically wide and toothy grin.

The vests fit well on each of them. As Iruka-sensei looked a the image of them all standing side-by-side sporting the new coming-of-age symbols, he distinctly felt the passage of time mingled in with the gushing flow of pride that he felt rising in his chest.

"Congratulations again," Tsunade said with a happy smile despite herself, "and now, on to other business."

The newly promoted ninjas, even Naruto, stood respectably at attention, awaiting their first orders as Chuunin. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Lluvia of the Amegakure and Chingis of the Kumogakure have been relieved of their villages. They no longer have a village to call home."

Tsunade's words struck a chord of empathy in the young Konoha nin, and a few of them turned to look at Chingis and Lluvia who stood at opposite corners of the room looking rather isolated from everyone else and from each other. The impact of Tsunade's words hit deepest in Naruto, though, and his response was not to turn to look at the abandoned ninja. Instead he looked the Hokage straight in the eye with one of the most intense stares Tsunade has ever experienced from this particular bright eyed ninja. He was both staring into her eyes and looking straight through them. It was as if he were focused on every word that came out of her mouth and lost in a distant, painful memory all at the same time. Hinata gave him a concerned look.

"In response to the actions of their leaders, I have offered to allow Chingis and Lluvia stay on the condition that they assist with missions."

Tsunade watched with amusement as Naruto's intense, almost angry stare turned into a wide smile.

"ALL RIGHT TSUNADE-OBA-CHAN!" he yelled out with another jump and punch to the ceiling, making another hole alongside the one he had created earlier.

Tsunade covered her face with a flustered hand. Iruka-sensei winced along with everyone else in the room.

"Oops…" Naruto said with a hint of timidity.

"Naruto, why are you so clumsy?" Ino exclaimed in exasperation, and everyone broke into laughter.

"Hehehehe…" Naruto laughed with one hand behind his head.

Lluvia bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. She realized at that moment that she might just like it here in Konoha, at least for the time being. She looked over at Chingis who, instead of his usual lifeless stare, was looking over at the back of the yellow-haired ninja with the faintest sign of emotion in his eyes. Lluvia smiled—almost affectionately. She turned her attention back to the Hokage.

"Your first mission as a group team is to get to know Lluvia and Chingis and help them acclimate to life in Konoha. Report here tomorrow morning for your next missions. Chingis, Lluvia, that applies to the two of you, too. That is all."

With that, Tsunade waved them away with her hand.

"Hokage-sama," the young ninja said respectfully as they bowed and left the room.

Naruto however, waved a hand and said in an all too informal tone, "Ja matane (See you later), Tsunade O-ba-chan!"

She waved a shooing hand at him. As they filed out of the room, she called out to one of them.

"Sasuke, please stay behind for a moment."

Sasuke turned first to look at the Hokage, then looked back at Sakura who was only a step ahead of him. She couldn't help but give him a pained look. Since the incident at the Chuunin exam finals, she hadn't left his side. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll catch up."

Sakura nodded reluctantly as she turned and stepped out the door. Sasuke closed the door behind her and turned to the Hokage.

"Sasuke, I am glad to see that you have recovered well from the incident. How are you feeling?"

"A little confused, but otherwise I feel fine."

"Confused?" Tsunade tilted her head in curiosity and concern.

"Yes."

"About what?" Tsunade pressed on.

"Well, I can't quite remember how I was able to overcome Orochimaru."

"Oh? Hm, that was exactly what I wanted to ask you about," Tsunade admitted.

"Sakura said that I said something about everyone helping me to remember, I guess to remember who I am. But at the point I felt my mind returning to me and his consciousness being wiped out, and the moment right before that…I guess I can't explain how I did it. Maybe it was will power that did it…but there seems to be something more to the picture."

Tsunade looked at Sasuke with a deep thoughtful eye.

"I may be a foremost expert at medical ninjitsu, but the truth is Orochimaru had far surpassed me in some aspects of this field. That is how he was able to develop this particular forbidden jutsu, this ability to transfer his consciousness into another person's mind."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and picked up a manila folder full of papers for Sasuke to see.

"As you know, Sakura's been monitoring you at the hospital, and she said you've allowed her to examine your mind long before the Chuunin exams even began. I've asked her to send me reports on your neural well-being during your stay at the hospital. She says you've been better than ever."

"Really?" Sasuke said with genuine surprise.

"I guess I'm just surprised that you could experience something like that and be left unharmed. It's almost like you're in better health than before."

"Do you think…?" Sasuke said with the beginnings of a furrowed brow forming. He even hesitated in saying that maybe Orochimaru wasn't totally gone from his mind. Even the thought of it repulsed him so.

"No," Tsunade said, easily reading his mind, "I think he's really gone now."

She tapped a pen on her table rhythmically as she thought.

"It's possible that his jutsu could not sustain itself indefinitely. It might have gotten weaker with each successive transfer."

Then Sasuke recalled something.

"Before he overtook my mind, he did say he would leave more of my consciousness intact than his previous hosts, because he wanted to obtain a forbidden technique of the Sharingan," Sasuke offered.

"Hmm, the Mangekyo Sharingan, I know," Tsunade responded, "I thought that might be one of his motives. Your brother has made the technique widely known. I've treated victims to that forbidden jutsu a number of times, thanks to him."

Sasuke couldn't help be feel that old pang of hate and anger rise again in his chest at the mention of the pain his brother had inflicted upon others. He shook his head in disgust, then looked up at Tsunade who had a furrowed brow and a pensive look on her face, as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle that had stumped her.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm sure the special condition of Orochimaru allowing some of your consciousness to remain did help, but I think there's just more to the story of how you overcame a powerful ninja like him."

Tsunade covered her mouth in thought, then lifted it and asked him again,

"You sure you don't remember how it happened? What you did?"

Sasuke looked down at the floor thoughtfully, as if the answer lay plainly there for him to see.

"All I remember…is that it was clear to me at the moment when he was going to kill Sakura right in front of my face, it was crystal clear to me what I needed to do to beat him. But I can't remember what it was, I just did it, somehow, and the next thing I knew all my memories were rushing back to me, and I was regaining control of my mind."

Tsunade tapped her pen on the table some more.

"Hm," she said again with the voice of a seasoned scholar genuinely puzzled by a new question, "…interesting."

"What's interesting?" Sasuke couldn't help asking.

"I'm not sure yet. I have an idea, but I'll have to study the issue closer."

Tsunade stood up from her chair and stretched her arms and legs.

"If my hunch is right, we may be able to develop a counter jutsu to many psychological and neurological forbidden techniques used by people like Orochimaru."

"…and Itachi," Sasuke added, speaking out loud in realization with his eyes widening with hope. He didn't dare imagine the fury he would be in if Itachi ever attacked Sakura with the torture he had suffered at his brother's hand when he was a child. He could sympathize with how Naruto must have felt when Hinata was hurt so badly by Itachi.

"Yes, and with possible applications across the board for ninjitsu training," Tsunade smiled. Sasuke's mouth curled up in a smile. His brother was the source of all of the trauma in Sasuke's life. A bruise, a cut, even a broken rib could heal much better and faster than the sort of harm Itachi had inflicted upon him and many other victims. Finally, there was hope of a way to truly fight his brother at his own game.

"That'll be all for today. Let me know if you remember anything else," Tsunade said in dismissal.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Sasuke said with a newfound respect for his village's leader.

* * *

Sasuke walked into Mimi's family restaurant and immediately he was bathed in the aromatic air filled with the smells of BBQ freshly sizzling on the grills of each table. His stomach growled loudly in response, but it was drowned out by the loud group of ninjas occupying the largest table in the place. They were all sporting the same brand new Chuunin vest that Sasuke himself was also wearing. It was a celebratory luncheon. 

"Irasshaimasen (Welcome)! You came just in time! I just served the food! On the house today! Omedetou (Congratulations) on your promotion!" Mimi's bubbly voice came through the cacophony of the busy restaurant.

"Hi Mimi, thanks," Sasuke said with a friendly smile and headed towards the table spilling over with his noisy friends.

When they spotted him, there was an outburst of welcomes from everyone. Sasuke laughed at how rambunctious they were as a group. He held a hand up in hello to his comrades, then noticed that Lluvia and Chingis were among them, and nodded in greeting towards them. He noticed that Chingis was at head of the table, and he had his chair scooted a bit away from the table, as if he were trying to stay as far away from everyone as possible while still sitting at that particular table.

Lluvia sat next to Chingis, and Naruto across from her with Hinata on the other side. It looked as if Naruto and Lluvia purposely sat by Chingis to blockade him from the rest of the group.

Sasuke took his seat next to Sakura who sat on the other side of Lluvia.

"What did the Hokage have to say?" Sakura wasted no time in asking her question with earnest while other conversations at their table continued on.

"She was just curious as to how I beat Orochimaru," Sasuke answered.

"So how did you beat him, Sasuke?" Naruto asked with genuine curiosity.

"That's the thing, I'm not quite sure. But the Hokage is really interested in it. She says we might be able to develop a new jutsu or something if we understood it better," Sasuke shared.

"Oh?" Naruto's ears perked up.

"Yes, a jutsu that could possibly counter Itachi's psychological torture techniques," Sasuke added.

"Really?" Naruto said, his eyes wide with interest.

"Ah," Sasuke affirmed with a smile.

Naruto looked down at the bowl and chopsticks he held in his hand, suddenly deep in thought.

"Here," Hinata said placing some newly cooked BBQ onto the rice that was overflowing Naruto's rice bowl.

Naruto stared at the piece of juicy meat that Hinata had just put care into cooking for him. Then, without a word of thanks, he shoveled the tasty morsel with a generous helping of rice into his mouth. Hinata was soon busy minding the next pieces of cooking food, but was well aware of the exchange between Sasuke and Naruto and guessed easily what was now on Naruto's mind.

"Hm, yeah, she's been asking me a lot of questions about you in the last few days," Sakura further confirmed.

"Itachi? Uchiha Itachi?" Lluvia's voice interrupted their thoughts.

"Yes, you know him?" Sasuke inquired with curiosity.

"He was supposed to be my next target after the Chuunin exams," Lluvia answered simply.

"Next target?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, part of the Amekage's plan to further build the reputation of the Amegakure. He figures if we start to take down S-Class criminals, the mission assignments would flood to our village and Amegakure can become wealthy and powerful," Lluvia explained.

"Hmph, you can't build a whole village on the back of a single talented ninja. No offense, Lluvia, you're pretty awesome, but your ex-leader's logic is flawed," Naruto spat out in an unexpected bout of insightful commentary. Sakura and Sasuke stared at him for a moment a bit surprised at their usually dimwitted teammate.

"No offense taken. Actually, I agree with your observation," Lluvia concurred, "but I was all they had to rely on because of my special abilities derived from the demon I carry inside my body."

As she finished her sentence, Lluvia did something that had Hinata, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura watching her actions with interest. She picked up some meat she had been cooking on the grill and placed it on the mound of rice that sat untouched by the reticent Chingis who still sat quietly in his chair at a distance. His eyes stared blankly at the edge of the table.

Lluvia made no notice of Chingis' lack of response and continued talking.

"What sorts of missions do you get here at Konohagakure?" Lluvia inquired.

"All kinds. From walking dogs to fighting bad guys," Sakura said.

"Yeah, but no more pet-sitting for me! I'm a Chuunin!" Naruto said, huffing and puffing and swelling his chest out with pride.

"Great, now you can screw up on more important missions," Sakura criticized with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, it's the important missions that I screw up less on, so now that I have more important missions, that means I'll be screwing up less," Naruto reasoned pointing the tip of his rice spotted chopsticks at Sakura with emphasis.

Sakura's brow furrowed as she looked at her teammate with squinted eyes and tried to process Naruto's strangely cogent logic. Sasuke and Hinata chuckled in amusement. Lluvia smiled as well.

As the pleasant conversations continued on throughout the meal, Lluvia continued to place piece after piece of food on Chingis' untouched bowl. Chingis continued to sit like a lifeless robotic doll in his chair.

When the meal was finished, Lluvia asked for a bento box and carefully emptied the contents of Chingis' bowl into the container and tied it up.

They all stepped outside of the restaurant filling the sunlit streets of Konoha with the sounds of their friendly banter.

"So, what do you two want to see in Konoha?" Kiba asked in a hospitable tone.

"Actually," Lluvia said as she threw a glance at the quiet Chingis who had followed them outside at a distance, "we've been in Konoha for quite some time and have had ample opportunity to explore much of it all ready. I think for the rest of today, we'd like to rest and prepare for our first Konoha mission tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked politely.

"Yes, thank you," Lluvia responded, speaking easily for both herself and Chingis as if she had always been his spokesperson, "You all should do the same. The Chuunin exams have been trying, and I think everyone can do with some rest and relaxation."

Hinata noticed Lluvia's hand tighten around the bento box of Chingis' food that she held.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Hinata quickly agreed with her usual kind and understanding smile.

Sakura thought this was a great idea. If she had it her way, she would have Sasuke confined to a hospital bed for another week. But she knew he would be restless, and he did need some fresh air. A relaxing stroll in the peaceful Konoha woods would do him some good.

"Okay, well, we'll meet up tomorrow morning for our assignment then?" Naruto said, anxious to get to something he wanted to do.

"Yes, thank you all for your hospitality. We appreciate it," Lluvia said graciously with a bow.

The group broke up into various directions. Lluvia watched as Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and began leading him down one street, and then she turned her attention to Naruto who had grabbed Hinata's hand and was literally dragging her down another street. She watched the rest of them disappear, and then turned to the still zombie-like Chingis.

"Come with me," Lluvia said. The silent ex-Kumogakure nin followed without objection.

* * *

Hinata allowed herself to be dragged by Naruto halfway across Konoha. He walked a bit ahead of her, and she followed in silence, guessing easily where it was he was dragging her. They came to the front door of the Hokage's office in no time, and Naruto burst in without announcement to find the fifth surrounded by a pile of paper work watched over and assisted dutifully by Shizune. 

"Tsunade oba-chan, Hinata's ready to learn that special psychological defense jutsu you told Sasuke about," Naruto announced and pushed Hinata towards Tsunade.

Hinata smiled cheerfully at the 5th. She had read Naruto's mind perfectly and had expected him to say exactly what he had just said.

"It's not ready yet," Tsunade said simply. Out from behind Hinata's cheerful smile poked Naruto's spiky head.

"Huh? When is it going to be ready?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure yet."

"Then Hinata's first on the list to be trained right?" Naruto insisted.

"Yes, sure," Tsunade said with a tired wave of her hand.

"Arigatougozaimasu (Thank you very much), Hokage-sama," Hinata said politely and bowed.

When Hinata shut the Hokage's office door behind them, she turned to see Naruto with a pretty pleased smile on his face. She knew more than anyone how worried Naruto has been about the Akatsuki targeting her to get to him.

"Daijoubu (It's okay), Naruto. Watashiwa tsuyoi desu (I'm strong)," Hinata said reassuringly, slipping her hand into his.

"I know, Hinata," Naruto said with a proud smile at his girl and squeezing her hand, then added, "but so is Itachi."

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura under a shady overhang of foliage upon soft grass kept cool away from the direct glare of the bright sun. They strolled near the old Uchiha neighborhood. 

Inside, Sasuke felt like his soul was a calm pool of fresh water. It was so different from how he felt when he was consumed by vengeance and hate before. Then, he felt like he could see nothing but the hate and frustration. The waters of his soul had been turbulent and the dust was stirred up in a blinding cloud. Now, as he walked serenely in this peaceful moment next to his beloved, he felt as if the sand had settled, and he could look through the clear waters out onto a greater world and understand more of it.

He put an arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her closer to him as he walked. The feel of her near him was so comforting. A relaxing river of warmth flowed through his being.

They walked in silence, enjoying being together on another beautiful day.

_It has something to do with this…all of this…_Sasuke thought to himself in silence. He felt a strength coursing through his veins.

* * *

Up on the high walls lining the perimeter of Konoha strolled Lluvia and Chingis. Lluvia lead the way and Chingis continued to follow. They walked in silence. A pleasant breeze swept up the wall and caused Lluvia's high ponytail to wave softly. For a moment, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the caressing wind against her skin and took a relaxing deep breath. Then she stopped in her tracks and was not surprised to turn around and find that Chingis had stopped a few yards behind her in response. 

Lluvia looked over the side of the wall that faced Konoha's village-scape with the vast wilderness of green forest and high mountains behind her on the other side of the wall. She held the bento in her hand up in Chingis' direction.

"Here, there's no one around now. You can eat," Lluvia said. She kept her eyes on the Konoha scenery spread out below them. Without turning to look at him, she felt him take the bento off of her outstretched hand and listened to the barely audible sounds of him opening up the food container. She stood for a bit looking away from him and silently enjoying the weather and scenery so that he could settle into eating his meal comfortably. When she felt he was at ease, she glanced over at him and saw that he was gradually emptying out the bento, the mask covering his face pulled down to reveal his whole countenance.

"Why did you decide not to kill me?"

The question came out of Lluvia's mouth as she leaned forward some more against the wall, allowing the concrete to hold up some of her weight.

"I tried to, but you are somehow immune to my special abilities," Chingis replied without hesitation.

"I mean after that, at the end of the match. You could have slit my throat easily," Lluvia threw back.

Chingis chewed on another mouthful of food silently for a moment.

"I'm not sure," he finally replied, then added, "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

"I've never killed anyone before. I didn't plan on breaking my record," Lluvia said with a touch of jest.

Chingis continued to eat on steadily in silence.

"I know you stay aloof from people because you know you may accidentally kill them if they touch you. It must have happened too often before," Lluvia observed.

Chingis' steady pace of eating faltered a bit. Lluvia could tell her words conjured up some bad memories for him.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make the point that I don't think you really want to kill people either, even though you have," Lluvia said, a far away look in her eyes.

He looked over at her, his own brown eyes examining hers.

"Why are you here?" he asked bluntly, almost irritably.

Lluvia gave him a slightly puzzled look.

"Because I was left behind here like you were," she answered.

Chingis blinked. That wasn't what he meant, but he left it at that. He turned and looked out at the view of his current home, however temporary it may be.

* * *

"The Kazekage and the Sunagakure troops will be leaving today," Tsunade's voice read officially out from under her large Hokage hat. 

Team Gai, Team Asuma, and Team Kurenai were off on their respective missions all ready. Only Team Kakashi and the two new additions to the Konoha forces still stood in the Hokage's office awaiting mission assignment.

"Your mission is to escort them to the edge of the Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire). Lluvia and Chingis will be coming with you under your supervision."

As Team Kakashi plus their two temporary members walked down the Konoha streets to meet up with the Sunagakure ninja and the Kazekage at the front gate to the village, Naruto turned around suddenly and held his hand up to his mission team.

"HOLD ON! I have to get something!"

His mission team watched as he ran into a convenient store on the street corner. Five minutes later, he came running out with two gigantic plastic bags of ramen.

"OKAY! I'm ready," he said with a satisfied look on his face.

"Naruto, I know you like ramen, but isn't this going a little overboard?" Sakura said with a raised eyebrow.

"But this is my FAVORITE brand of cup ramen!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, but this mission is only going to take two days at the most. You'd have to eat a cup ramen every 30 minutes to finish all the ones you have there," Sakura continued.

"NOT a problem!" Naruto threw back.

When they met up with the Sunagakure ninja, Sakura watched as all of the visiting nin gave Naruto strange looks as her sprightly teammate continued to lug both gigantic shopping bags of cup ramen along with him. Sakura rolled her eyes a bit in embarrassment. Naruto, however, had a broad smile across his face the whole time.

They accompanied the Sunagakure troops without incident to the edge of the Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire), and set camp for the evening. In the morning, the escort team would return to Konoha and the Sunagakure would continue on their journey to their home.

"Pssst! Hey! Gaara!"

Gaara was in his private tent, left alone as usual in reverence and fear by his own people. He looked up from his solitude to see a pair of bright blue eyes and spiky yellow hair poking through the front entrance of his tent. Gaara sat in front of a small dining table set up with a meal for one, his long black coat contrasting with the tan colors of the tent fabric surrounding him. The Kazekage hat sat officially upon his head, the flaps that hung off of it covered the sides of his head seemed to isolate him even further from the world.

He watched with amusement as the loud looking ninja came into his tent with two enormous shopping bags and a large plugged bamboo thermos.

"Yes?" Gaara said in his normal, commanding voice.

"SHHHHH!" Naruto motioned for him to keep it down.

Gaara blinked in puzzlement.

"Why?" the Kazekage actually whispered.

"Because!" Naruto hissed, "if you're too loud, the others might hear and they might want some of this ramen!"

He lifted the two large bags he carried to indicate what they were full of. Before Gaara could ask another question, Naruto was all ready making himself comfortable at the small dining table opposite the Kazekage. With a bit of distaste in his eyes, he pushed aside the bland looking meal that the Sunagakure ninja had prepared for their leader. In its place, he placed two cup ramen in front of Gaara and two on the table in front of himself. He partially opened the paper cover atop each cup, and then he opened the large bamboo container and began pouring hot water into each cup ramen.

"Okay, so you should open the lid like this. Not all the way, or it won't cook as fast or as well. After three minutes, then you can take the paper lid completely off and stir around the noodles a bit before you eat."

Gaara nodded in understanding, accepting the culinary gift that was being forced upon him. He didn't seem to mind.

They sat for a bit in silence. Then surprisingly, it was Gaara who broke the silence.

"Naruto, why do you want to be Hokage?"

Naruto looked up at first a bit astonished, not having expected such a serious question right before ramen. His mouth scrunched up as he thought about his answer.

"Well, before, I just wanted to be acknowledged. I wanted everyone in the village to know that I'm a great ninja. But now…"

"Do you still want to be Hokage?"

"Definitely. But now, it's different. The villagers, they acknowledge me. Actually they worship me as a hero, which isn't surprising of course, since I'm so strong and all, but anyways, I still want to be Hokage because I want to be a great ninja that protects Konoha."

"Why?"

"Because Konoha is my home."

"Why?"

"Because of my friends, my family, that's what Konoha is to me."

"What if you didn't have them? Would you still protect the village?"

Naruto smiled at Gaara's constant flow of questions. He took Gaara's current inquisitiveness as a good sign.

"I don't know. I think it would have been hard if Iruka sensei hadn't cared for me, if I hadn't made any friends. But you know that girl Lluvia from the Amegakure?"

Gaara nodded, remembering the battle between her and the strange boy from the Kumogakure and the stomping off of their respective leaders when they failed to end their match with a fatality.

"She's the same as us. Everyone called her a monster, everyone hated her. But you know what she said? She said that she wanted to protect the feelings the villagers had for each other, even if they didn't offer any of that care to her."

"Why would she do that when they treated her so poorly?" The usual glint of hate rose in Gaara's eyes as he said these angry words. The symbol of self-love still burned bright and bloody red on his otherwise pale forehead.

"I don't know. What do you think?" Naruto decided to throw Gaara's question back at him.

The anger in Gaara's eyes faded as he tried to understand why a girl who was so forsaken would chose to protect those who hated her. He stared silently at the cup ramen that steamed before him, unable to come up with an answer.

"Is it done yet?" he asked.

"Yup! Dig in!"

They slurped the ramen noodles and drank the flavorful soup hungrily. At the end of the meal, they had eaten 5 cups each, but Naruto had brought so many, it made barely a dent in the two gigantic shopping bags.

"The rest of these are for you to take back," Naruto said with a wide, toothy grin, then added, "But you should hide them or other people will take them from you. You don't have this brand at your village do you?"

Gaara shook his head, not that he had really thoroughly researched the ramen selection in his village.

"Yeah, I thought so, because I've traveled all over, and this is a special brand that's only available in Konoha. I think one day, I'm going to have my own brand of ramen. I'll call it 'Uzumaki Cup Ramen.' Sounds pretty catchy huh?"

The corner of Gaara's mouth curled up ever so slightly in a smile as he nodded his head.

"Next time you come visit, I'll ask Hinata to make you the special Naruto Onigiri (rice ball)! It's really good! Inspired by yours truly!" Naruto pointed a thumb emphatically at himself.

Gaara looked thoughtfully at Naruto as he started raving about other things that Hinata made from medical nin medicine to teriyaki chicken. He wondered what it must be like to be connected to someone the way Naruto was connected to the Hyuuga girl. He had become numb to the dull ache of loneliness in his chest, the pain that he had lived with since birth. He had long since given up the wish to have someone heal it with the sort of love that his uncle Yashamaru had told him about. For the rest of the evening, Gaara listened to Naruto tell him stories about his adventures with Hinata, his teammates, and his friends, all the while resigned to the fact that he himself would never have such fond memories of his own to cherish.

_

* * *

Note: Pack your sandals, goggles, and SPF 100 sunscreen everyone! It's time for a field trip to the Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind)! _


	26. Chapter 26

_Note: Thanks again everyone for enjoying this story! Thanks for all the kind words in the reviews, too! I was watching this random video on YouTube called "Konoha Family" by user melissachan. It's short, simple, but I really liked it. It fits nicely with the focus of this fanfiction, too. Yay Konoha! Okay, now for the Ichibi!_

* * *

All The Difference 26 

Gaara sat in the seat of the Kazekage. Unlike the quaint business office that the Hokage conducted business from, the Kazekage's work place was much like an ancient throne room. All around the walls were made of a tan rock that matched the color of the dunes of sand that surrounded the Sunagakure. Round, plain columns reached from the hard floors to the equally hard ceilings. The ambiance was sepulchural, and Gaara definitely felt like he was sitting in a tomb. He didn't mind. He never really felt alive anyways.

The light from a few overhead windows beamed down onto the floor. One beam of light fell on Gaara himself who sat on chair raised off the floor by a round platform that was also made of rock. The early morning light emanated off of the white robes he wore, the ceremonial garb of the Kazekage that hung heavily on his form. There were torches situated around this rotund room hung on the walls and thick columns that surrounded Gaara, but he was weary of the noise of the flames and the smell of the burning flammables. He preferred to sit in the moment of silent calm before the days business began.

Soon the attendants came in from the side doors and after a respectful bow and good morning to their village leader, they went about their business cleaning and lighting the torches. Gaara looked up at one of the windows on the round part of the roof, the window that sent a beam of light directly down upon him. Through his mind played an old memory, and Gaara watched in his mind's eye the vision of his uncle attempting to murder him upon the very rooftop of this room. The only person he had thought cared anything for him had in truth detested him and wanted nothing more than his death. The last few weeks spent in Konoha, a place where even children dared to come up to him with joy and curiosity in their eyes instead of fear and hate, was like a dream. Coming back here was a waking up from that dream, a reminder of the true life that he lived. He heaved no sigh as he awaited the work of this coming day. He had suffered no delusions about the reality that was his.

The large, iron doors at the front of the room that opened out into the front courtyard swung open with a metallic groan and creak. In stepped his siblings, Kankuro and Temari with Baki sensei, the teacher who had raised the three of them. Next to Baki walked in a young new Sunagakure Jounin named Gesshoku. The young man had a deep brown shade to his short and ruffled hair, and his eyes were a sharp hazel gray. Though he was young, he was still older than Gaara, the youngest Kazekage in the Sunagakure's history.

"Kazekage-sama," they all said in ceremonial reverence. Gaara raised his eyes to look at them in acknowledgement.

"I welcome you home from your trip to Konoha, Kazekage-sama," Gesshoku spoke with formality, "The mission rate while you were gone has been at a 97 success rate."

"Well done," Gaara said, granting recognition to Gesshoku who had been in charge of managing missions while the Kazekage and a significant portion of the Sunagakure forces had been away at the Chuunin Exams.

"It is all thanks to your excellent leadership of course, Kazekage-sama," Gesshoku offered his humility politely with a bow, though the pride he took in his successful management of the villages affairs during the Kazekage's absence was evident in the tone of his voice and the satisfied smile on his face.

Gaara bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement, then looked over at his brother and sister expectantly.

"All troops from the trip are accounted for and resettled in the village," Temari reported.

Gaara nodded slightly again, and his eyes moved on to his sensei, Baki.

"Today's mission requests are numerous. They are being prepared and will be delivered to you shortly," Baki-sensei reported.

"Tell all available forces to standby for new mission assignments," Gaara said.

Though he showed no emotion outwardly, he was rather pleased at the increasing demands for Sunagakure work. His strong reputation as a formidable ninja coupled with a solid alliance with the Konohagakure has led to a growing respect for the power of Sunagakure. The excellent work of top Sand ninjas like his siblings, his teacher, and Gesshoku have helped to substantiate this reputation as well. Secretly, Gaara took a private joy in reigning over an era of growing prosperity that surpasses the achievements of his late father. It was not a happy joy that he felt. No, on the contrary, it was a dark, spiteful joy that he relished, knowing that he was exceeding the father who had always tried to kill him. However, his face stayed placid betraying none of his feelings for others to see.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," the four said in unison. They left the room, and soon after attendants came in and set up a large, black table in front of his chair. On it was placed a bland looking breakfast and the scroll with the listings of requested missions. Usually, he would simply begin his breakfast and his routine of reading through the missions. But today, he looked at the food and remembered just two nights before the sight of Naruto coming into his tent unannounced and pushing aside his usual meal. Gaara thought of the bags of ramen that Naruto had brought for him, and involuntarily, his mouth watered at the thought of the flavorful noodles and soup. He thought of how he had carefully stored away the ramen in his private quarters on Naruto's suggestion and decided he would have one with his lunch later on. He unfurled the scroll and began to read as he robotically ate the food prepared for him.

The morning wore on with team after team presenting themselves in front of him at his request, and his delegating of mission after mission based on the difficulty of the assignment and the abilities of the ninja teams. The last ninja team to be assigned a mission for that morning was his own brother and sister.

"The merchant wants his ship guarded for the duration of the weeklong trip. There is a substantial amount of valuable goods on that ship which means it will most likely draw the attention of S-rank criminals interested in funding their own enterprises. It's a variable level mission, but you two are being assigned because of the potential A-rank level of the mission."

Temari and Kankuro nodded.

"We'll make preparations today and be on our way at the break of dawn tomorrow," Kankuro said, the puff of hair at the top of the bandaged up, cocoon-like package that hung on his back peeked over his shoulder as if to back up Kankuro's words.

"Dismissed," Gaara said in a voice as bland as the food he had for breakfast.

"Gaara," Temari said, her expression changing from a serious look to a more sisterly one, "Why don't you join us for lunch today?"

Gaara looked at her and thought over her request. It's not like he never took her offer before, but he always felt like an intruder when he's with his siblings. The two and their peers would talk, joke, and laugh, and Gaara would sit there aloof and unconnected. Gaara knew it was his own strange and reserved personality that always made him the deadbeat of the party, but he also knew that being Kazekage meant being even more isolated from everyone else. It didn't matter if everyone was on break, he was the Kazekage and the weight of his presence always put a dampener on things.

Gaara thought of the tasty ramen that awaited him in his private quarters as well.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have quite a bit of work to catch up on," Gaara lied.

Temari looked disappointed while Kankuro wasn't surprised by the answer.

"Are you sure?" she asked one more time.

"Yes, thank you," Gaara said. At that moment, he noticed something hanging around his sister's neck glint in the torchlight.

"Temari," Gaara said.

"Yes?" his sibling replied with a bit of hope in her voice.

"What is hanging around your neck?"

Temari looked down at the necklace that held a flat miniature kunai against her skin. She blushed.

"Oh, this?" she held it up with the back of her index finger.

"Yes," Gaara affirmed.

"Hahaha, uh, this was just a little something from a friend in Konoha," Temari said, visibly embarrassed.

"It's from her boyfriend Konoha, that lazy Shikamaru guy," Kankuro said with a teasing tone.

"Hey, he's not that lazy," Temari defended instinctively.

"You're the one that kept calling him a lazy bum, not me," Kankuro said with laughter in his eyes.

Temari looked like she was going to smack her puppet wielding brother when Gaara spoke again.

"Can I see it?"

Temari looked at her youngest sibling and saw something unusual. Gaara was curious and had the slightest look of childlike wonder in his eyes.

"Um, sure," Temari said and walked up to him.

She held it out for him, and Gaara held it in his fingers and examined it a bit. He quickly noticed that it was some sort of kunai shaped locket. Gaara's other hand came up with out warning and flipped the locket open. Inside was a picture of Shikamaru with an unhappy look on his face, a face that told Gaara that he really didn't want to take that particular picture.

"Hahaha," Temari laughed embarrassed, "He gave me this locket without a picture in it so I forced him to take a picture for it." Her face was flushed red.

Gaara looked up into his sister's face as he held onto the locket. He wanted to ask her what it was like to be in love, what it was like to be loved, what it was like to have someone to call your significant other. But all that came across was a sort of pained look across his face as he remained silent.

Temari was taken aback by the expression on Gaara's face. She had never seen him look so forlorn before. Then again, she had been afraid to look at him at all when they were children.

"Gaara, are you sure you don't want to join us for lunch?"

Her words seemed to break him out of the spell he was under. He dropped the locket and quickly returned to his usual stern aloofness.

"Yes, thank you again for your offer," he replied mechanically.

Temari sighed.

"Okay, I'll see you after my mission then."

She and Kankuro walked towards the exit, and as Gaara feigned looking back down and studying his scroll, he missed the sad look in his sister's eyes as she glanced back at him one more time, then closed the door behind her.

Gaara's solitary lunch went by quietly as usual, only this time he made a special request for hot water and enjoyed a cup of Naruto's ramen gift. When he finished his meal, he looked up at the window above him and remembered again the day his uncle, Yashamaru, had willingly tried to kill him. He looked down around the silent walls of his workplace, and thought again how appropriate it was for this place to resemble a tomb. The silence suited Gaara and his habitually solitary ways, but the ache was still there in his chest.

Gaara looked down at the emptied ramen container again. It conjured in his mind some memories of his time in Konoha. Then one particular memory rose to the forefront. He remembered when he had just entered into the Konoha village grounds and came upon the group of Konoha children. They had approached him without fear, inquired with curiosity about his gourd, and gasped in wonder when he showed them his abilities. He thought of Naruto becoming the Hokage and protecting those children, those children who didn't fear either of them.

On a whim, Gaara stood up, took off his Kazekage hat, and decided to go out for an uncharacteristic stroll before he began his work again.

The door to his chamber opened with a metallic creek, sounding very much like the opening of some long forgotten vault. The wind swirled the dust outside onto, over, and around the steps that led down from the door. The bright sun burned the way it always did, hot and oppressive over this land of wind and sand in a sky white with heat. Gaara couldn't help but miss the blues, greens, and browns of the Konoha landscape.

Despite this barren ambiance, there were people moving about the village, conducting business the way they did every day. Still wearing his Kazekage robes, Gaara walked to the side, taking some small, less populated side streets for his spontaneous stroll, careful to avoid the busiest streets. He knew that the sight of him would only incite fear in the hearts of villagers, and they would slink away quietly to hide until he was gone. He too didn't feel like seeing the looks of fear and faked respect in their eyes. He didn't feel like being angry and hateful today, for a soul can grow weary hate and anger when it surfaces all too regularly. These were a few among the many reasons he usually didn't take a stroll out in the village during his lunch break.

He felt under his feet the ground of the roads in this village that was his home and listened thoughtfully to the voices of those whom he protected. Why had he accepted the title of Kazekage? He asked himself the question, but the answer was simple. When they had offered it to him, he believed he deserved it. Kazekage was the title for the strongest ninja in the village, and none had surpassed him. He had killed many a skilled Sunagakure ninja that had been sent by his father to assassinate him. His supremacy was clear. The title simply came with being the best, he had reasoned with himself.

His reason for accepting the title had been a completely egotistical one.

Naruto, however, and the Hokage of Konoha, had shed light on another aspect of leadership that Gaara had not considered. The Hokage acted with love and concern for her people. Naruto aspired to protect his home, those he cared for. Hokage, like Kazekage, was the title of the strongest, but Gaara now wondered what it meant to be the strongest and even pondered over the meaning of the word 'strong'.

As he turned over these thoughts in his mind, Gaara found himself walking out to an open area. He recognized it immediately. It was a playground at the Sunagakure ninja academy, the same one he had gone to when he was a child. The sounds of the laughter and talk of the children reached him as if they drifted to him on a distant wind. It was the same playful hum that he remembered listening to from afar when he was a child. The place seemed rather timeless, and so did his memories of being an outcast there.

For a while he stood there watching the children silently, and no one seemed to notice him there. The smiles on the faces of the children were so carefree, so full of a bright joy that sprung from a warm source within each of them. Gaara thought of how he had never smiled like that, never laughed with such lighthearted abandon, how it had always been him watching other children walk around with a light in their eyes that he could not touch and could not have.

_What is my purpose?_ _Why am I Kazekage?_

He asked these questions of himself for the first time, and surprisingly, his silent thought was answered with a loud, terrified scream.

"AHHHHH! AHHHH! A SCORPION!" one little boy's voice yelled out in alarm. It caused a snowball effect and the next thing Gaara knew, the terrified screaming had infected every child on the playground. There was a cacophony of fearful voices in a matter of seconds.

"EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM IT NOW!" a young woman yelled out to the children. Tumbling and tripping over one another, they obeyed the best they could. The young woman headed straight for the boy who screamed.

Gaara looked over at where the first boy had yelled and saw that indeed on the sandy ground scuttling towards the crowd of children was a malicious black scorpion. He recognized immediately that it was one of the most poisonous kinds in the Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind). A single strike could easily poison a grown man to death.

"Sabaku Kyu (Desert Coffin)."

Without much thought, Gaara raised his right hand like he had so many times before and caused the sand to rise and lift the deadly black scorpion off of the earth. The scorpion was disoriented and unable to move, helplessly bound by the sand that now imprisoned it. The children watched with silent wide eyed terror and amazement at the now airborne threat. Before they could break out into another bout of screaming frenzy, the sand slowly wrapped around the scorpion layer after layer. The black, hard shell of the creature disappeared under the warm tans and browns of the sand that buried it in midair. Soon, it was completely covered in a smooth, spherical ball of sand.

"Sabaku Soso (Desert Funeral)," Gaara called out his technique and closed the open fingers on his raised hand into an angry fist.

The sand around the scorpion visibly pressurized and crushed inwards at its victim, and the children, in their silent shock, even heard the crunching sound that marked the death of the creature within. The sphere of sand fell to the ground and formed a mound that was a mixture of sand and the crushed remains of the scorpion.

At first the children stared at the place where the scorpion's remains lay. Then they turned to the source of the voice they had heard. The sight they saw was not one they had expected. Standing just outside the perimeter of their modest sized playground was their Kazekage in full robes minus the large head piece. His short, dark red hair waved in the wind and the sun's white light fell upon his pale skin and dark ringed eyes. The blood red symbol of 'love' burned on the corner of his forehead, and his hand was raised in an angry fist pointed at the spot where the scorpion now lay dead.

Gaara slowly and regally lowered his fist. He looked over at the crowd of children that he had just saved from the poisonous threat and unintentionally met eyes with the young woman that had been running towards the scorpion to protect the children from it. Her brown eyes flashed with an instinctive look of fear when his eyes looked into hers. He recognized her as one of the Chuunin ranked ninja of the village. The fear expressed in her eyes did not surprise him.

_Of course,_ Gaara almost said out loud to himself. He had grown too accustomed to the look of fear in people's eyes. He looked away from her to the children.

Maya, the young woman who was the teacher of the children at the academy, watched as the village demon's eyes moved from her to the children she watched over. Her first impulse was the jump between him and the view of the children the way she had been planning to block the scorpion from reaching her beloved students just moments earlier. At the moment, she didn't know what to do, for this demon was also the revered Kazekage of her village. The wind caused her long, loose, and dark raven black hair to wave silently in unison with Gaara's short red locks.

"Stay away from the scorpion's remains," Gaara instructed the children, "Its poison is still strong even when it is dead."

Without another word, he turned and walked away from the playground with the children and Maya still staring after him in stunned silence.

* * *

"Believe me Maya, I'm going to be Kazekage some day, and we'll get to live in a bigger place," Gesshoku said, his hazel eyes flaring with ambition framed by his short, brown hair that had been tousled by the day's wind. 

"That demon doesn't deserve to lead our village. Everyone's afraid of him. He's responsible for the murders of so many villagers and some of our best ninja. I don't understand what the elders were thinking when they chose him. Just because he was the former Kazekage's son? Please," Gesshoku continued to rant as he ate his dinner in their tiny living space.

Maya nodded at him and listened thoughtfully to his usual talk about his plans for the future, for their future. She had heard it all before, and ever since she could remember, she had heard hateful and fearful remarks about the boy named Gaara who was the terror of their community. She herself had been frightened of him when they were small children in the very same playground her students played in today. While Gesshoku continued on with his tirade, Maya was trying to reconcile conflicting information. Her mind was filled with images of her beloved students, of a deadly black scorpion that had threatened to take one of them away today, and of the village's murderous and detested red-haired demon who had prevented that tragedy from happening.

* * *

Another day dawned on the Sunagakure, and again the Kazekage sat in his chair still situated in his sepulchral throne room. The light from a few overhead windows beamed down onto the floor as usual, and attendants came in and out busy minding their chores. In no time his large black table was set again in front of him with the usual bland looking breakfast and the scrolls for the day's business piled in the corner. 

It wasn't until after Gaara had finished with half of his meal that he noticed a manila enveloped mixed in with the scrolls of official business. The envelope was large, yellow, and plain. Envelopes containing official documents usually had the sender and addressee clearly stated as well as a list of the package's contents. This particular one stood out because on its plain surface was written in handwriting a simple indication of who it was meant for: Kazekage.

Gaara ripped open the short side of the envelope and pulled out a single, thick card-stock sheet of white paper. On it in colorful letters was a short message:

**Thank you for saving us from the scorpion. Please come visit us again at lunch recess today if you can. **

All around the message was written in uncertain letters the signatures of about fifteen children.

One little boy named Taro had scrawled by his name an extra little note: 'You saved my life!'

Gaara looked at the thoughtful note with a blank stare. He slid it back into the envelope it had come in and moved on to the next piece of business.

Not long after, Gaara began a long morning of mission assignments. Gesshoku and his team came in when called upon.

"This mission is an A-class, highly classified mission," Gaara began without wasting any time, "The Hokage of Konoha has shared information with me about her concerns regarding the group known as Akatsuki. Their members are all possibly all S-Class criminals. I would like to know as much as I can about this organization and their activities. Though this appears to be a simple reconnaissance mission, I must highlight that it is an extremely dangerous one. I am sure that if they catch wind of you trailing them, you will become an immediate target for them. I've selected your team for this mission because you are one of the best in our ranks at covert information retrieval. You are to scour the land and report back to me in two months everything there is to know about the Akatsuki. That is all."

Gaara's reference to their abilities was not meant to be a compliment or an ego-booster of any sort. He was simply stating facts and the clear logic of his reasoning. Nevertheless, Gesshoku and his team were quite proud to be recognized as elite ninja of the village and pleased that they were given such a dangerous and important mission. Immediately after Gaara finished his remarks, they responded with a respectful bow and said in unison:

"Hai, Kazekage-sama."

With that, they began to disappear. One seemed to crumble into sand and slip through the cracks of the rocks that paved the floor of the room. Another seemed to melt into the shadows of a nearby column. Impressively, the image of Gesshoku himself began to fade as if he were a mere hologram. In seconds, it was as if the three of them were never there.

Lunch came soon enough, and Gaara again requested for a pot of hot water and enjoyed another one of Naruto's ramen. The tasty, instant noodles brought back again the feeling of freedom he had experienced when he was in Konoha. There he wasn't locked in a tomb built upon people's fears. There, he could walk freely under the sun and blue sky without the weight of people's terrified looks. Again, the children of Konoha rose in Gaara's consciousness, and in turn, they reminded him of the children he had seen yesterday at the Sunagakure playground.

Gaara glanced over at the enveloped containing the letter from the children mixed in with the other official papers. He then remembered their request for him to visit.

_Well, in a sense, it is an official request from the villagers…_he reasoned with himself.

He stood up and headed for the door.

* * *

Lluvia and Chingis walked down the Konoha streets together. They were assigned to village patrol for the day and were making their third round around the village. 

They had walked together in silence all day, and without a word to Chingis, Lluvia had bought a pair of bento (lunchboxes) for them. The two neatly packed meals swung off of her arm in a plastic shopping bag. Their lunch break was upon them, and their patrol route was taking them towards the outer wall. Above them flew a bird of prey, and they could easily detect the tracking bugs of the Aburame clans on their body. All their lives they had been closely monitored, so the presence of this tight surveillance of their activities made no matter to them.

On the high wall, Lluvia again held up the food in silence, and again Chingis took the food from her without a word. They ate as they looked upon the view of the Konoha village.

"They're nice here, aren't they?" Lluvia said, more to herself than to her reclusive companion. Chingis didn't reply, but Lluvia didn't seem to mind this.

"They're still scared of us, but at least they're nice about it," Lluvia thought out loud again. She continued on with her monologue, filling the otherwise silent airspace with her inner musings.

"It seems kind of different here, doesn't it? There's a sort of unity and compassion that I didn't see at the Amegakure. Naruto, Hinata, and the others…they're not all blood related but it seems like they're all family. If they'll let me stay, I would like to lend my abilities to protect this village."

Lluvia finished the last bite of her bento and held the empty container loosely in her hand.

"I think I—" she began again but Chingis cut her off.

"Why do you keep talking to me?" he asked in a slightly irritable manner. Lluvia's eyes widened a bit, more in surprise that he spoke than at the content of his words. She shrugged.

"I've got no one else to talk to," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, then added, "If you want me to stop, you can just say so. I've got no delusions about people wanting my companionship."

Chingis didn't say anything in response, but he looked over at Lluvia as she gazed out at Konoha with a far away look in her eyes. The wind flowed through her hair and made some of her loose clothing flap peacefully. At that moment, he got the distinct feeling that she was far away from this place, far away from the world, as if she were a ghost pondering the daily happenings of the living, but at the same time, he felt that she was not so far away from him.

* * *

"Kazekage-samaaaaaaa!" 

Gaara had just arrived at the playground and was surprised to find a young boy with tousled dirty blood hair and bright brown eyes running towards him. It was the same boy that had spotted the scorpion the day before and the one who had been the closest to the poisonous creature. He came at Gaara with a wide grin on his face.

…_as if he's happy to see me,_ Gaara thought to himself.

"Kazekage-sama! I didn't get to tell you my name yesterday! My name is Taro!"

The young boy held out his small hand up to Gaara who towered over him. Gaara didn't understand what the child wanted and stared down at the offered hand blankly. Taro looked up at him, gave him a puzzled look at first, then broke back into a cheerful smile and grabbed Gaara's hand in his own without trepidation. Gaara's eyes were wide with mild confusion as he was dragged onto the playground by the hand of this small boy.

"Kazekage-sama! The techniques you used yesterday were so cool! Please teach them to me some day!" Taro said excitedly as he pulled the leader of his village towards his teacher.

Maya looked up from putting medicine and bandage on the scraped knee of one of her students to see Taro, the most rambunctious of her group, dragging the village demon towards her. She couldn't help her immediate reaction of fear and concern. She held back the impulse to run towards Taro and take him as far away from the Kazekage as possible. Keeping her composure, she stood up.

"Children! Line-up!" she called all of them to attention.

The children dropped what they were doing and dutifully lined up. Unlike Taro, they looked upon the approaching Kazekage with a mixture of unease and curiosity. There wasn't a child in the village who didn't know about the hated demon that was also the leader of their village. Gaara was the boogieman all of them had grown up fearing. Nonetheless, they followed their teacher's lead and kept their composure despite their apprehension. Taro let go of Gaara's hand and joined his classmates. He was the only one with an unfettered, happy smile on his face.

"Everyone greet Kazekage-sama," Maya directed the children.

"Konichiwa (Good day), Kazekage-sama," the children said in unison.

"Konichiwa," Gaara replied in a monotone voice.

"Now," Maya continued on, "what do we say for what Kazekage-sama did yesterday?"

Taro was the first to respond and bow right away while the children looked up at their teacher with anxious eyes but they did as they were told obediently. Together, their small forms bowed low to Gaara.

"Arigatougozaimasu (Thank you very much) for protecting us from the scorpion, Kazekage-sama," their young voices said together.

The kids straightened up from their bows. There was a moment of silence as Gaara said nothing in response. Maya was at a lost for what to do next. She opened her mouth to say something else, but one of her students interrupted her.

"Are you really a demon?" one little girl asked with the sort of straightforward audacity that is characteristic of children her age.

"Minny!" Maya said in a scolding tone.

"But everyone says he's a demon! Even my mom says so!" Minny said defiantly, unwilling to drop the topic. Maya tried to think quickly—she was in a delicate situation indeed.

"He's not a demon!" Taro's voice cut through the conversation.

"I think he is!" Minny argued.

"Would a demon have protected us from the scorpion like he did yesterday? I don't think so!" Taro shot back.

"Ie (no)," Gaara's voice broke into the debate. Everyone's eyes had been looking back and forth between Minny and Taro as they argued, but now they looked towards the Kazekage in surprise.

"I am a demon."

Gaara spoke with such finality that a counter seemed futile. Taro gave Gaara a hurt look, upset that the Kazekage didn't take his side.

"I am a demon," Gaara repeated, "that protects this village."

Maya's eyes grew wide. The conflict she had been feeling since yesterday's incident was even more acute now, and she could barely contain the turmoil inside her.

Taro broke into a broad smile.

"SOU! SOUUU! Kazekage-sama is a demon that protects this village! SEEE!" he stuck his tongue out at Minny.

"Demons don't protect! They're evil!" Minny said indignantly, not willing to back down on her argument.

"NOOOO!" Taro said with a determined look on his face. He had spent all of last night arguing with his mother that the Kazekage was not a bad guy and he wasn't about to give in to his classmate here at school either. Maya heaved a sigh at her two most stubborn students.

"Now, now," she tried to calm the situation, "Kazekage-sama did protect us yesterday so we should be polite and grateful and not argue in front of him like this. It's not polite," she repeated for emphasis.

Minny and Taro looked at each other with frowns, but took the cue from their teacher and bowed again to Gaara.

"Gomenasai (Sorry), Kazekage-sama," they said in unison.

"Okay, you may all go back to recess," Maya let them go, eager to avoid another awkward silence or more outbreaks form the children. The children ran off.

"Kazekage-sama," Taro went up to Gaara again boldly, "Can you come back and visit me again tomorrow for lunch recess?"

Gaara looked down at Taro's expectant smile. The boy was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. Taro reminded Gaara of a certain rambunctious Konoha ninja. Then Gaara did something that Maya would not have expected in a million years—he smiled. It wasn't a big smile nor was it toothy like Taro's, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Do you like ramen?" Gaara asked.

"I love ramen!" Taro said with a wide grin. Gaara got the feeling that if he had asked Taro whether or not he liked scorpions, he would have answered in the same way.

"Then I'll bring you some tomorrow," Gaara said.

"REALLY!" Taro said with an incredibly happy grin.

"Yes," Gaara affirmed.

"YAKUSOKU!" Taro said and stuck out his pinky finger at Gaara.

Gaara looked down at the tiny offered finger, unclear as to what it meant. Taro saw the inquisitive look on his Kazekage's face.

"Put your pinky finger out like this!" Taro instructed. With a bit of hesitation, Gaara slowly raised his land and held out his pinky finger to the child as well. Taro hooked his pinky with his.

"Yakusoku!" Taro repeated again.

"Yakusoku," Gaara responded.

Satisfied, Taro ran to join the other children while waving happily back at Gaara.

"He hasn't stopped talking about you since yesterday," Maya said.

Gaara turned to look at her. His eyes were sincere. Up close, Maya noted that there were no demonic flames burning in them. This time, Maya didn't feel the impulse to flee when Gaara looked her way. She looked him in the eye and smiled sincerely.

"Oh? So desune (I see)," he said. He looked back out at Taro with the slightest trace of amusement on his face.

_That's the voice of a man, not a demon,_ Maya thought quietly to herself.

"It seems like you've got a loyal fan in Taro," Maya said, smiling despite herself. Taro was as amusing as he was a trouble maker in class.

"Kazekage-sama, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday for protecting the children. They are each very dear to me. Please accept my deepest gratitude," Maya said with sincere bow. She truly was grateful for what he had done. Gaara turned back to her.

"Sato Maya, Chuunin," Gaara named her and her rank.

"Hai, Kazekage-sama," Maya responded and bowed again.

"I will see you tomorrow then," Gaara said. Without waiting for a response, Gaara turned and left.

With her raven black hair flowing loose and her brown eyes full of thought, Maya watched as the Kazekage of her village walked away. She noted that she didn't feel relief at his departure. Was this really the demon she had grown up fearing? Was this the murderer her brother and every person in the village detested? Before, it was easy to say yes to all these questions. Now, Maya realized that the answers to these questions were not simple ones.

_I am a demon that protects this village._

Gaara's paradoxical words echoed through her mind.

"Hai, Kazekage-sama," she said again quietly to herself.

_Note: Apologies if I get delayed for the next update. Rest assured I'm as eager for the next chapter as those of you who like this story , so I'll try to get to it asap. Looking forward to your thoughts on this chapter! Also, for all you NaruHina fans out there, the plot will come back to NaruHina! BTW, search Utada Hikaru on Asianweek dot com and you'll see my latest published article!_


	27. Chapter 27

_Note: This chapter was pretty tough to write! I thought Sasuke was a cold character to work with. Gaara is frigid! Hahaha. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! Your responses to the chapters keep me writing and improving! Also, I want to thank people for adding me to their favorites, alerts, C2s, and all of such honors! Plus, a number of people have been asking me for permission to use the techniques I developed for the Naruto characters in their own fanfics! Feel free to use the new ninjutsu in your stories if you are so moved! Just for reference, I use wikipedia's Naruto info a lot for my Naruto information, and I use Jeffrey's Japanese English dictionary server (for those of you who emailed me about this info, my emails to you bounced back). For all of you anime fans, please check out my front page article "Otaku Obsession" on asianweek dot com!_

* * *

All The Difference 27 

Lluvia walked out of the front door of her assigned apartment. As usual, Chingis stepped out of his place at the exact same time. The two of them were like clockwork; the sun was on its way to peeking over the horizon. Without a word of greeting, they began their early morning trek together to the Hokage's office to receive their next assignment.

The Konoha streets were awash in the deep blue that soaks through everything marking the early stages of sunrise. All was silent except for a few kitchens and business that were preparing for a day of operations. The two jinchuriki walked soundlessly down the street.

"So, I've been curious about something," Lluvia started the conversation as usual, raising her arm to bring Chingis's attention to the bandages that covered her arms and legs, "During our battle, when you touched my wraps, they instantly turned into ashes. I figured it was because of your special electric ability, from your demon right?"

Chingis looked at her raised arm for a moment but then looked back at the path he walked, saying nothing.

"What I don't get is how your clothes don't just turn into ashes, since, you know, they're touching your skin directly and all," Lluvia said with a puzzled look on her face. Before she got a chance to give Chingis an expectant look, he surprised her with a prompt response.

"When I attacked you with my ungloved hands, I concentrated my chakra into my hands, amplifying the effects of my electric abilities. However, normally, direct contact with my skin would gradually damage the clothing as well. So at the Kumogakure, they synthesized a special material that served as insulation for the constant flow of electricity through my body."

"So desu ne (I see)."

Lluvia nodded her head slightly in understanding. The suns rays were beginning to peek over the edges of the horizon. A few moments later, Lluvia suddenly added something.

"That's a fancy way of saying you wear plastic underwear."

She threw Chingis a wry smile, amused by her own comment. Her smile grew wider when she noticed that from the expression in Chingis's eyes, he wasn't too happy about that description of his specially synthesized undergarments.

Without warning, she put friendly hand on Chingis's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your special underwear," Lluvia said with laugh.

The pressure of her hand on his shoulder put his mind off balance. Chingis's eyes grew wide as he tried to process the sensation of the Lluvia's friendly gesture. From a lifetime of being treated as a leper, from growing up as the village's untouchable demon, he had no idea what to make of what she just did.

Her hand left his shoulder, and the rest of their walk to the Hokage's office was quiet as usual. But Lluvia couldn't help having traces of an amused smile spread across her face, and Chingis, though outwardly placid as always, was busy thinking about what he thought about his new companion.

* * *

"Today you're assigned to accompany Team Kurenai to the Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfall). Team Kurenai has been assigned to retrieve Hero Water from the Takigakure (Village Hidden in a Waterfall). Hero Water amplifies chakra levels, but also fatally strains the body of its user. We've been granted permission to bring a significant amount of this special medicine for research to possibly reduce its potency to a level that would reduce the damage to the body yet still keep it useful. It's quite a simple retrieval mission, but you two have a special assignment in your support of Team Kurenai in this endeavor." 

Tsunade's face went from a serious look to a more serious look. She knew she was taking a risk entrusting such a special assignment to ninjas that weren't Konoha's own, but they were still strained for able-bodied ninja, and she decided it would be safe to follow her instinct that these two jinchuriki would be reliable. From what she saw of their actions so far, she had a good feeling about them.

"I'm sure you have heard of the Akatsuki organization. Their members consist of S-Class criminals which makes them extremely formidable opponents should you come across them. Their motives are still not completely known, but it is clear that they are bent on collecting jinchuriki across the land for use in accomplishing their goals. They have made many attempts to capture Uzumaki Naruto, which I'm sure the two of you have guessed, is a jinchuriki for the Kyubi. Luckily, their attempts have all been unsuccessful."

_Luckily…,_ Lluvia and Chingis both thought to themselves silently. Then they both thought of how their own villages must feel lucky to be rid of them.

"From my analysis and reports from his sensei on his progress, Uzumaki Naruto is capable of at least defending himself against direct Akatsuki attempts to abduct him. However, for the Akatsuki, this simply means that they will target anyone close to him as bait. You are probably aware of the close relationship between Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata has all ready been seriously injured once in an Akatsuki attack very clearly directed at drawing Naruto out to them. It is highly plausible that she will be targeted again. As a result, I am assigning the two of you as support for Team Kurenai on their mission, especially on a long distance assignment such as this one. I've been very impressed by the level of skill the two of you possess and your special abilities are quite unique and formidable. Please lend them to us again."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Lluvia spoke for the two of them again.

* * *

"Kazekage-samaaaaa!" Taro's voice echoed cheerfully through the air as he ran up to his new hero. 

Gaara looked down into the small boy's eyes. It was a nice respite to see eyes in Sunagakure that weren't filled with fear. From under the folds of his Kazekage robe, he pulled out one of the cup ramen packages that Naruto had given him. Taro's reaction was immediate.

"ORRRHHH! Is that the ramen you promised me? Is it!" Taro jumped up and down excitedly.

"Yes. It is something a friend of mine from the Konohagakure gave to me."

Gaara surprised himself with his own words. It was the first time he referred to Naruto as his friend. Gaara smiled as he was reminded of the yellow-haired hyperactive ninja by both the cup ramen and the rambunctious boy in front of him. He placed the gift into Taro's eagerly outstretched hands.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Taro jumped some more.

"First you peel off a bit of the cover, and then add some hot water. Wait for 3 minutes for it to cook, and then you can pull the cover off completely and eat. Be careful because it is very hot," Gaara gave his instructions authoritatively.

Taro listened and nodded attentively to his Kazekage's directions, and then turned and took off in the direction of his sensei. Gaara's eyes followed Taro and looked up at the small boy's destination, meeting eyes with Maya. To Gaara's surprise, Maya smiled warmly and held her hand up in greeting.

Feeling a bit awkward, Gaara raised his hand up in greeting as well, though the best smile he could muster was an uncertain one.

Then Gaara watched as Taro proceeded to explain something carefully to his sensei. Maya gave her student an uncertain look and said something in response. Taro, apparently unhappy with what his teacher had said, shook his head with a grumpy expression on his face. Maya gave him another uncertain look, and then heaved a sigh of defeat. The next thing Gaara knew, she was looking straight at him again with another friendly smile and motioning for him to come towards her.

Like a wild animal uncertain of whether or not to approach a beckoning human, Gaara hesitated, then made his way cautiously towards Maya and Taro. He couldn't figure out why he was being summoned.

"Konichiwa (Good day), Kazekage-sama," Maya said politely in traditional reverence for Gaara's position. Gaara gave her a puzzled look in response.

"Taro would like to have some ramen right now, but that means I have to go inside and boil some water for it. Can you please watch the children while I bring the hot water?"

Gaara's eyes were wide with hesitation for a moment, but then he looked down and saw Taro's pleading eyes.

"Yes."

"Arigatogozaimasu (Thank you very much), Kazekage-sama," Maya bowed politely. Then she turned to Taro with another uncertain look.

"Taro, are you sure you want to have a hot cup of ramen in this hot weather? Right after lunch?" Maya doubtfully asked her stubborn student again.

"YES," Taro said adamantly with an annoyed look on his face.

"All right then," Maya sighed, "I'll be back. Kazekage-sama, onegaishimasu (please)."

Gaara dutifully turned towards the playground and began to scan the activities of the children. A few looked over at their Kazekage that now stood watch in the place of their sensei, some with curiosity in their eyes, some with fear, many with both.

With the cup ramen carefully held in both hands, Taro decided he wanted to make conversation.

"Kazekage-sama," Taro began, his voice filled with wonder, "What was the technique you used to kill the scorpion?"

Gaara looked down with an inquisitive look at Taro's eager face, and then raised his eyes back up to scan the playground dutifully again.

"Actually, I used two different techniques. The first is called the Sabaku Kyu (Desert Coffin). It is most effective for immobilizing your opponent. The second technique is called the Sabaku Soso (Desert Funeral). It crushes your opponent after they have been trapped by the Sabaku Kyu."

"Kazekage-sama, what does 'immobilizing' mean?" Taro asked.

"When you can't move, you're immobilized. So if you immobilize your opponent, your opponent can't move anymore," Gara explained.

"Oh," Taro said and nodded his head in understanding, "How did you learn how to control sand?"

"I didn't learn. I was born with this ability."

"Really? How come I wasn't born with sand powers?" Taro complained unhappily.

"Because you weren't born with a demon inside you like I was," Gaara explained bluntly.

"Oh…" Taro thought about this for a bit, and then added, "That's why you really are a demon?"

"Yes."

They stood in silence for a moment, with Gaara watching the playground, and Taro looking thoughtfully at his classmates. Then Taro held up the ramen up and examined the packaging happily.

"I didn't that know demons eat ramen," Taro said cheerfully with a toothy smile.

Gaara couldn't help but smile at Taro's words.

"Hey, can you really make sand do whatever you want it to do?" Taro asked with wide eyes.

"Yes. Try throwing a rock at me," Gaara suggested.

Taro gave him an incredulous look.

"Go ahead, throw a rock at me," Gaara encouraged.

Hesitantly, Taro looked down by his feet for a rock and picked up a tiny pebble nearby.

"No, choose a larger one."

Taro dropped the tiny pebble and went for a larger one that fit perfectly into his small palm. He held it up to Gaara for approval, and Gaara nodded.

"Go ahead and aim for my head," Gaara instructed.

With a doubtful look on his face, Taro spent a moment just looking at Gaara with disbelief, but Gaara's face was unwavering. Deciding the Kazekage was serious, Taro pulled his arm back and threw the rock at Gaara's head

At first, the rock looked like it was going to make contact with Gaara's head for sure, but the Kazekage made no move to dodge. Taro was all ready flinching in anticipation of the rock making contact with Gaara's face, but seemingly out of nowhere a spring of flowing sand suddenly formed in the path of the rock and it was blocked from hitting its mark. The rock fell harmlessly to the ground.

"WOW! What else can you do? Can you make a puppy out of sand?" Taro asked excitedly.

Gaara gave Taro a surprised look. He had never attempted making a puppy out of sand, but the request intrigued him.

At Taro's feet, the sand began to rise upwards and mold and fold over itself as it shaped into a tiny puppy sitting obediently on the ground from which it came.

"Woah!" Taro exclaimed as he crouched down to examine the sand sculpture, "It looks just like a real one!"

On a whim, Gaara decided to animate the small creature. The sand puppy stood up off its haunches and began to prance silently around Taro with its tongue lolling out lazily from its mouth. Taro laughed loudly and reached out to pet the Kazekage's creation, and the puppy obediently sat and allowed itself to be touched.

Taro laughed whimsically again, and then jumped to his feet. With cup ramen still held carefully in hands, he began to run around and with a big smile at the puppy who, as he had expected, began to chase after him. Taro squealed happily, and his joy caught the attention of the other children on the playground who began to drop what they were doing and come over to look at the puppy. Soon, the little sand puppy was surrounded by all the children of Maya's class. It hopped around playfully and allowed itself to be pet by the curious children who responded like Taro with happy squeals of laughter.

Maya soon came out with the hot water ready for Taro and was surprised to see that the Kazekage had achieved something that was quite difficult to do—he had the undivided attention of her entire class of children. Taro took the sight of his sensei as the cue to leave the group and run over to her eagerly with his cup ramen in hand. When all was poured and ready, Taro was soon carefully eating the hot snack. All the while, the children were playing happily with the sand puppy.

Seeing that Taro was indeed carefully eating his noodles like he promised he would, Maya walked over to stand next to Gaara and look upon the children.

"That's an amazing jutsu," Maya commented.

The Kazekage gave a her quick glance of acknowledgement before looking back at the children playing with the sand puppy that dashed, danced, and hopped around their feet.

"Maya-sensei! Look! It's a puppy made totally of sand!" Minny yelled at her teacher excitedly. Maya smiled and nodded.

In response, Gaara had the puppy break into a run and the children ran after it in mirthful pursuit, the sounds of their laughter ringing like bells through the air as they tumbled over each other in the race to catch the small sand creature. Maya broke out into laughter at the funny scene, and she smiled because she had never seen her children in such state of unified joy. Without warning, the puppy ran up to her and sat on in front of her, its adorable sand eyes looking up into her face. The running children screeched to a halt and watched eagerly to see what their sensei would do in response. Taro, who had finished his ramen the way he had promised, joined the crowd.

Feeling all of their eyes expectantly on her, Maya crouched down and pet the sand puppy.

"Kawaii desu," she said with a friendly smile as her hand brushed against the surprisingly smooth surface of the puppy that was made of finely grained sand. Then, to the amusement of all her students, she reached out both her hands and picked up the puppy from the ground.

"WaaaaaAAAHHH!" the children said in a synchronous rising tone expressing their amazement.

The puppy's tail continued to wag fervently as Maya held it in an affectionate cradle in her arms.

"Kazekage-sama sugoi desu ne (The Kazekage-sama is amazing, isn't he)?" Maya said with wide, expressive eyes that adults usually had when they were exclaiming something to attentive children.

"Hai! Hai!" the children agreed in unison. Happily they forgot about the boogieman that they had all grown to fear, their joy over the little sand puppy overriding anything else they knew before, changing their minds in that capricious way that was characteristic of children at their young age. They looked over at the Gaara who had been happy not to be the focus of their attention. When they all turned their sparkling eyes his way, he suddenly felt…shy. He wasn't used to such a deluge of happy looks, but he maintained his stolid face nonetheless.

Maya put down the puppy, and it hopped, rolled, and then began to dig furiously. Its wagging tail soon disappeared under the sand, and the children ran to the hole it had been digging for itself. Their tiny fingers reached in and started searching for it, but all they found was sand and more sand.

"Okay everyone, time to get back to class!" Maya called out.

"AWWWWW!" the children groaned their protest in unison.

"Come on, recess is over," Maya said in response.

The children began walking towards their classroom. They dragged their feet, and their movements were overdramatically tragic as they made their way off the playground. The scene reminded Gaara of the Konoha children when they were herded back to work by the Konoha ninja, Iruka, and, surprising even himself, Gaara let out a short laugh.

In response to the sound of his voice, Maya turned to him and smiled.

"They do this every day when recess is over," she said.

"Kazekage-sama! Thank you for the ramen! It was so good!" Taro bounded towards them with the empty cup ramen in hand. With his free hand, Taro grabbed Gaara's robe and gave him a toothy smile. Gaara placed a hand on Taro's wind-tossed dirty-blonde hair.

"Douitashimashite (Don't mention it)," Gaara responded.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Taro asked, his eyes looking up at the Kazekage hopefully.

"Yes," Gaara agreed to his request.

Satisfied, Taro ran off, following his classmates to their classroom.

Maya laughed.

"Taro is usually so hard to control in class. He's so stubborn and always wants to do things his own way. But now, I just say, 'If you don't finish this today, I'm going to tell the Kazekage about it,' and he'd finish his work right away."

"Oh? So desune (is that so)?" Gaara responded with an amused look on his face.

"You're very good with children, Kazekage-sama," Maya shared her observation.

"Oh?" Gaara said in disbelief. He looked back out onto the playground thoughtfully, and then added, "I wasn't very good with them when I was a child."

Maya followed his gaze and realized what he was talking about.

"Children can be as cruel as they are kind," Maya said.

"So can adults," Gaara added without hesitation.

Maya looked over at him, at the totally serious look on his face. This was the strongest ninja in the village, the one that assigned missions to her and her peers. This was the man everyone feared and respected only out of fear. He was the hated demon curse of the village she called home.

"Sou, I guess you're right," Maya conceded.

"I won't keep you any longer," Gaara said, all the lighthearted amusement from before wiped from his face. He turned to leave.

"Kazekage-sama…"

Gaara stopped and turned his once again emotionless eyes on her in acknowledgement.

"Gomenasai (I'm sorry)," Maya apologized.

Gaara blinked in puzzlement, wondering what it was she was sorry about.

"For being afraid of you, gomenasai (I'm sorry). Now I know there's no need to be afraid of you. I will see you tomorrow, Kazekage-sama," Maya said with a bow, then turned and hurried off to class after her students.

Gaara was left to puzzle over her words.

…_no need to be afraid of me?_

As Gaara made his way back to his workplace through Sunakagure's side streets, his mind ran through the countless times he had killed people out of pure bloodlust, destroyed the existence of others to prove the importance of his own. He thought of the many times he caused blood to rain from the sky and how he had reveled in the thrill of killing. He was a being that loved himself and only himself. He looked up at the sky that burned white with heat.

_There's plenty to be afraid of._

He knew better than anyone that he had done an all too good of a job living up to the expectations of the villagers. He had truly become the monster that they all hated and feared. He decided there and then that he would not be going back to visit the playground again. Someone like him should not be around children. It wasn't right. It wasn't safe.

* * *

Team Kurenai and the two jinchuriki made their way down the path towards the Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfall). So far, their journey had gone smoothly. 

As usual, Hinata hung in the back of the group, using her byakuugan to keep watch in the rear. Lluvia hung back as well and walked with her. They chatted amicably with each other.

"So this is your first time to the Taki no Kuni?" Lluvia said, happy to have someone to talk to.

"Yes, though Naruto's told me about it. He went on a mission there before."

"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you known Naruto?" Lluvia asked in curiosity.

"Since we were small children at the academy," Hinata replied.

"And it didn't bother you that he was a jinchuriki?" Lluvia inquired further.

"Actually, we didn't know."

"You didn't?"

"Not us children at least. Naruto didn't even know. Only the adults knew," Hinata admitted.

"So Naruto wasn't treated differently even though he's a jinchuriki," Lluvia concluded.

"No, actually, he was treated very differently. No one liked him, especially the adults," Hinata corrected.

"Hm, I see," Lluvia said thoughtfully.

"I'm sure it was the same for you," Hinata said sympathetically.

"Can't expect everyone to like you," she said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm glad you're at Konagakure," Hinata gave her a friendly smile.

"Yes, me, too," Lluvia said smiling back. She looked up at Chingis who walked quietly a ways ahead of her with the rest of the group. She watched as the Konoha ninja named Kiba kept talking to Chingis. Chingis wasn't replying, but Kiba didn't seem to mind and chattered away as if the sound of his own voice was the best sound in the world. Lluvia laughed quietly to herself.

_Good for the both of us…_she thought and looked up at the fluffy white clouds floating in a beautiful blue sky. She turned her face up towards the light and soaked in the sun, the wind, and the friendly company like a sunflower long starved of daylight, water, and rich soil. She took a deep breath.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Hinata commented.

"Yes, yes it is," Lluvia said and smiled.

* * *

Gaara stared out onto the village rooftops from his usual perch. It was the same place where he often sat alone as a child, the same place where he had killed his uncle Yashamaru. It had been a week since the last time he had seen Taro, Maya, and the other children. He had dutifully stayed away. 

The still bustling village seemed so far away from him. Above him, the night sky sparkled with distant stars and a bright moon. He had shed his official Kazekage robes and was now wearing a simply, long black jacket-like robe.

A long day of work had just finished, and he was having another cup ramen as an after dinner snack when he felt the presence of someone behind him. His eyes narrowed. In the past, when he had felt the presence of someone behind him at this time in this place, it had always been an assassin sent by his father. He was about to turn around and commit his nth murder when a voice stopped him.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Recognizing the voice, Gaara turned around in surprise.

Looking around as if she were examining someone's home for the first time, Maya made her way towards him. As was usual of her rank, she wore her Chuunin vest and her forehead protector was tied to her arm.

"I saw you up here as I was walking towards the building," she said in response to his surprised look.

Without invitation, Maya sat herself on the ledge next to him. Gaara gave her a puzzled glance, then looked back out on the view of the village.

"Hm, nice view," Maya commented as she made herself comfortable, "I've never been up here before. So why haven't you been coming to visit anymore?"

Maya got straight to the point of her visit and made no effort to hide the tinge of annoyance in her voice.

Gaara showed no reaction and answered simply in his monotone voice.

"Children should not play with demons."

Maya looked over at Gaara's completely serious face, and then heaved a heavy sigh.

"Taro is really hurt that you didn't come back like you said you would. He hasn't been playing with his classmates like usual. He thinks you didn't come back because you don't like him."

Gaara only blinked in response.

"He will get over it."

"Well, I don't want him to get over it," Maya said, clearly unhappy with his response.

This caught Gaara's attention. His eyes widened at the unexpected reaction from Maya and looked over at her. He saw irritation flashing in her brown eyes. She looked back at him boldly, making no attempts to hide her anger. The stare was too much for Gaara. He was used to people fearing him or hating him, averting their eyes to avoid connecting with him directly. Even the Konoha ninja had only the friendly, polite eyes that didn't dig into his soul. Her eyes held no hate or fear, but he found them piercing. He turned away and looked back at the less antagonistic view of the village.

"Taro really looks up to you. He's been so obedient in class since the day you protected him and the other children from the scorpion. When the other children speak poorly of you in class, he comes to your immediate defense. For this past week, he's waited by the edge of the playground for you every day. He tries to act strong, adamant in front of the other children that you'll be stopping by, but I can tell he's hurt every time you don't show up. You shouldn't abandon a child of this village, especially if you're the Kazekage."

Maya scolded and Gaara sat in silence listening. Maya couldn't believe her own audacity. Here she was reprimanding the feared demon of Sunagakure who was well known for killing indiscriminately. This must be the most dangerous mission she's ever undertaken; she knew that if Gaara decided to turn on her, she had absolutely no chance in a face off with him. Despite all of this, two things drove her on: the look of disappointment on Taro's face and the grain of trust she had developed for the Kazekage.

But she had reason to be afraid. Gaara was reacting particularly strongly to her last sentence. He wanted to scream back at her and ask her why had _he_ been abandoned as a child? Why had the previous Kazekage, his very own father, ordered for his own son's assassination? His face contorted into anger, but he had no intention of garnering pity for himself. He had been done with hoping for compassion from others a long, long time ago. He spoke slowly with a controlled voice, but his returned anger was apparent in his tone.

"I've killed more people than that child has even known—and I've _enjoyed_ it. I've crushed countless men, women, and children with the very same techniques I used to kill that scorpion. I don't know what sort of twisted conception you have of me, but make no mistake, I _am_ a _demon_."

Maya winced inwardly at his acidic words. She had been wanting to forget the gossip of the villagers about the Kazekage being a murderer, but his affirmation of his murderous nature brought back the all too real truth of his reputation.

"Now, do you really want a psychopathic murderer near your precious children? Just because you haven't seen me hurt them doesn't mean I won't," Gaara added bitingly, giving her an angry stare that sent a chill up her spine. But Maya fought the urge to bite her lip in uncertainty. She kept her lips in a tight line and her eyes fixed defiantly on the dark ringed eyes of the Kazekage.

"Whether or not I want to see you hurt the children is not the issue here! The question you should be asking yourself is whether or not _you_ want to see yourself hurting the children. And you're hurting one of them right now!"

Maya began to stand up in a stubborn huff to leave. She was insulted that he would attack her ability to judge what was best for her beloved students, and she was furious over the insinuated threat to their safety. In her upset and distracted state, she lost her footing on the uneven roof tiles that she tried to stand on. She began to fall forward, but as she braced for impact with the roof and her mind raced to figure out what she would do to break her fall, she felt something unexpected. A warm hand grabbed onto her wrist, and the next thing she knew, she was pulled out of her fall. Instinctively, her other hand came up and grabbed onto the arm that held her, and when she looked up at the owner of that arm, she found herself face to face with the ring-eyed face of the Kazekage.

Gaara's eyes were a bit wide in surprise at what he did. The act had been reflexive, done automatically without much thought.

Maya, too, had wide eyes, both from being startled at almost falling and from surprise at finding that it was the Kazekage himself that had prevented her fall.

He hoisted her back up towards the ledge rather effortlessly, as if she were as light as a brown autumn leaf. All the while, he was still in his sitting position. She grabbed firmly onto the ledge and sat back down. The adrenaline from almost falling had wiped away almost all of her anger from just a moment earlier.

"Arigato (Thanks)…" Maya said hesitantly, paused for a moment, gave a short laugh and shake of the head, and then added, "…Demon-san."

Gaara responded with silence at first, looking out at the view pensively, but then said in a sort of thoughtful voice, "I think we need to higher our standards for Chuunin promotion."

For a second, Maya thought this comment was a bit random and was about to throw him a puzzled look, but then she realized he was referring to her little falling incident just now. Maya's eyes narrowed, and she gave him a look that said 'I am not amused'.

"For a demon you sure have wry sense of humor, ne? De-mon-san?" Maya said out loud in a slightly taunting voice.

"Who said I was joking?" Gaara said, giving her a feigned look of surprise with just the faintest hint of a jocular smile, and then added in a serious-sounding, lecturing tone, "Balance is an important aspect of being a ninja. If you can't run stealthily across rooftops, then you can't be a very good ninja."

"You're incorrigible," Maya said rolling her eyes.

"Which is precisely my point," Gaara said, bringing their conversation full circle back to the topic they had been arguing about in the first place.

Maya gave him another un-amused look, then let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Hai, hai, Demon-san. You don't want to change? Fine, I can't do anything about it. Just don't pretend you're doing Taro a favor by _abandoning_ him. The right thing to do would be to become a better person so that you can truly protect the people of this village, not hide away and act like you can't do anything about who and what you are."

Gaara gave her an annoyed look. He was irritated at loosing this game of moral logic.

Maya threw him a defiantly indifferent look that expressed what she felt inside. At that point, even though she knew he could crush her at will if he wanted to, she felt no fear of him.

She stood up again, but this time she was sure footed, perched expertly on the steep, uneven rooftop tiles.

"See you tomorrow, Demon-san," Maya said, her brown eyes sparkling with triumph because she knew Gaara had nothing to say back to her. With that, she was off running soundlessly down the rooftop. When she reached the edge, she silently took off and landed on the next roof, stirring not even the dust that lightly coated the tiles.

Gaara sat in irritated silence as he watched her take off into the night, demonstrating without a doubt that she was one of the most agile and stealthy ninjas of Sunagakure. It was clear that if he hadn't caught her wrist when she fell, she would have just easily caught her own fall.

He sat alone for awhile after she had long disappeared, the events of the evening playing in his head as he tried to think of a retort to what Maya had said, but he could find no way around the truth of her words. He looked at his right hand, the hand that had reflexively reached out and caught her wrist, and silently asked himself why he had done what he had done.

* * *

Naruto pulled Hinata into a tight embrace under the glow of the evening's bright moonlight. She had just returned from her weeklong mission to the Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfall), finished reporting in to the Hokage, and was now safe in his arms again. 

"I'm so glad you're safe," Naruto said with a clear desperation in his voice. Every moment apart from her, every moment she was outside of the safe confines of the Konoha village and not under the watchful eye of the Hokage was agony for him. He knew better than anyone that the Akatsuki would most likely target her to get to him. He knew, too, that she was much better prepared now for such an attack, but it didn't diminish his worry in the least bit. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt because of him.

"I'm glad your safe, too," Hinata replied, returning his affectionate hold. Like him, she was constantly worrying about when the powerful group of S-Class criminals would make their move. She was surprised, actually, that her trip to retrieve the Hero Water had been without incident.

For the moment, Naruto found relief in having her here and safe with him. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Akatsuki were brewing a plan that may soon rip apart his happy life in the blink of an eye.

_

* * *

Note: Thanks for reading! I got stuck on that scene with Gaara and Maya on the roof for the longest time! Please look forward to the next chapter! _


	28. Chapter 28

_Note: Thank you to everyone reading this story, especially to those of you who are reading it more than once or even more than twice. As always, it's an honor for me to know that you're out there enjoying this fanfic. This one's another Kazekage-centric; the plot will eventually weave together…so if I seem like I'm going out to lala land, I'm actually not…well, not too much anyways. I've been very sad that I haven't been able to get this chapter out sooner because I have been wanting to write it for so long. Sorry for the wait and thank you for your patience. I hope you find it enjoyable!_

_Technical Note: Dividers are working for this fanfiction document, so I hope they show up for you all. Please let me know if they are not. _

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All The Difference 28

Taro sat at the edge of the playground in his usual spot, the spot where he would sit and wait for the Kazekage appear. His sensei, Maya, threw another pained glance his way, her heart aching from the downtrodden look that she saw on his youthful face. Taro had always been headstrong and rather brash in his interactions with the other children. It wasn't easy to get him down; he was a rather energetic and buoyant child. Maya looked away, trying to contain her upset at the Kazekage's absence. Her thoughts returned to their encounter the night before as she turned her attention back to the rest of her students who were running around carefree on the playground.

Taro kicked at a rock in the dirt in front of him. He wondered why the Kazekage had not kept to his promise, wondered if he had done something to make him mad. He kicked at the rock again, and then felt a hand fall gently on his head of dirty blond hair. He looked up with a start and found himself looking at an upside down image of the Kazekage.

"Kazekage-sama!" he said with delight and surprise, a smile spreading across his face.

The sight of Taro sitting by himself had wiped away all of the conflicting thoughts that had fought back and forth in Gaara's mind all morning. All he knew now was he didn't want Taro to look like that, sitting by himself away from the crowd like a ghost image of Gaara when he was a child on this very same playground.

"Gomen. Taro-kun, I have been busy."

Taro jumped up, forgetting all of the disappointment he had experienced over the last week. All he could think about right now was how happy he was to see the Kazekage. To his further delight, the Kazekage pulled out from under his robes a container of ramen and held it out to him. Taro took it happily.

"Arigato!" he said enthusiastically, and like before, he was off running towards his sensei.

Again, Gaara's eyes followed the boy, and when he looked up, his eyes met with Maya's. Her eyes didn't quiver with fear nor were they warm and welcoming. Instead, she had a soft smile on her face, as if she were remembering a pleasant memory, and she looked upon Gaara with a fondness that he wasn't used to. He pulled his eyes away from hers with some effort and watched the bouncy Taro as he waved the ramen over his head for his sensei to see. Maya smiled and nodded at Taro, taking the ramen from his hand without hesitation. Then, like before, she signaled Gaara over. He approached, more apprehensive than ever.

"Can you watch the children while I prepare this?" she asked.

Gaara hesitated a moment before he answered. There was something in Maya's smile that made him feel really self conscious. He finally nodded in response.

She threw him yet another unnervingly soft smile as she turned away. It was a smile that caused his heart to beat unevenly and his chest to tense up. He blinked as if it would rid him of his unease and turned to watch the children on the playground.

He felt a tug on his formal Kazekage robes.

"Kazekage-sama?" asked Taro in a careful voice.

"Yes?" Gaara acknowledged.

"I was wondering if you could do that sand puppy thing again?" Taro was being uncharacteristically apprehensive.

Gaara noticed the change in Taro's mannerisms and realized it must be a product of his long absence. He tried his best to muster a reassuring smile.

The sand in front of Taro rolled and bubbled like a pot of scalding hot stew and up from its turmoil popped a perfectly formed little puppy of an even more refined design than last time.

Taro laughed in delight as the puppy jumped up into his arms. His laughter caught the attention of the rest of his classmates on the playground and in no time they had tumbled their way over to him reaching out their hands to touch and pet the little creature.

The sand puppy jumped out of Taro's hold and weaved its way through the jungle of tiny legs. The children laughed and squealed as they tripped over each other trying to catch the puppy. It burst out from the crowd and began running around the field. The children followed suite and the sight of them chasing gleefully after the sand puppy brought a smile even to Gaara's stolid face.

Maya came out with the steaming hot cup of ramen. She placed it carefully on the picnic table and made her way over the Gaara. She smiled, amused, too, by the sight of the children chasing after the puppy in a sort of sand storm of hands, feet, and laughing faces. She approached Gaara from the side and saw his attentive face as he focused on the jutsu that gave the sand puppy life while watching the children at play. She smiled with fondness again, and when she reached his side, she impulsively placed a hand on his arm as a gesture of both friendliness and appreciation for entertaining and caring for her children. As her hand touched his arm, she turned her attention a back to the children.

Then she saw something unexpected. The sand puppy that was running fervently at the front of the pack of children suddenly disintegrated and slumped back into the earth as a lifeless pile of sand. Surprised by its sudden disappearance, the children at the front tripped and fell which started a snowball effect—all of the other children tripped and rolled over the first group and soon they were a large, dusty pile of children. The turn of events amused the children even more and they broke out in an infectious laughter that echoed on the stone walls of the playground.

Maya let out a laugh, and then looked back up at Gaara only to see yet another unexpected sight. The Kazekage was looking down at her with wide, surprised eyes. It was at that moment that she realized the sand puppy had not been purposefully disintegrated. Maya looked down at her hand on his arm, and then looked back up to his pale blue eyes which were now blinking with unease and looking about as if they were trying to avoid hers. Maya's surprise melted into understanding.

_Some demon he is…_

Just as that thought floated through her mind, Gaara's eyes met hers furtively, and she flashed him a cheerful smile, and then gave his arm a warm squeeze before letting go.

Trying his best to recover from his surprise and discomfort, Gara turned his attention back at the pile of children that were just now picking themselves up and dusting off the sand they had all fallen into. He was glad to note that none of them seemed to have noticed the exchange between him and Maya.

"Taro! It's ready!" Maya called out. Taro was soon running happily towards the ramen that was placed on the picnic table for him complete with eating utensils and napkin.

To distract all the other children from asking about what happened to the dog, Gaara busily began his jutsu again. The sand puppy burst out of the ground and took off at top speed. The children screamed with laughter again and were soon after the running sand sculpture.

Maya laughed again at the entertaining sight. Gaara glanced over at her cautiously in response to her laughter. Her brown eyes glimmered with mirth, and her raven black hair waved pleasantly in the breeze. As he willed his sand creation to run around the playground, his mind raced as he tried to understand why this Sunagakure chuunin was standing next to him, smiling, at ease, and happy.

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Gaara sat on the balcony haunting his usual perch where he had surveyed the Sunagakure since childhood in solitude. In his Kazekage years, he often spent this time of solitude working out new plans and strategies for missions. Tonight, he felt possessed by unanticipated thoughts.

He couldn't get the image of Maya out of his mind. He turned over his thoughts again and again as if he were searching for something that would help it all make sense to him. He didn't understand why his breathing was irregular now, as if he were perpetually preparing to jump forward at something. He felt anxious in a way he had never known. He held up his hand again, the one that had grabbed onto her wrist when she fell from her spot next to him. He made a fist with that hand, as if he could squeeze out the anxiety he felt by force, but when he opened that hand back up again, it was still as antsy as ever.

Right on cue it seemed, he felt her presence. Somehow, he knew it was her for sure. There was nothing menacing about the presence. There was no caution in her movements. In response, his eyes didn't narrow, nor did he prepare for another slaughter to add to his long list of murders. Knowing it was her made him more uppity than before, causing him to think that another assassin sent by his father would have caused less of reaction in him than that Maya's presence with him alone on this beautiful Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind) night. When she sat down next to him on the balcony perch, it took all of his concentration to maintain his composure and not fidget. He stared straight forward, throwing not even a look of acknowledgement in her direction. He was too scared to.

"Oy, Demon-san. The children and I baked some bread this afternoon. They insisted that I bring some to you," Maya began, not at all phased by his lack of greeting.

"Oh?" Gaara said. It was quite an effort for him at this point to keep his voice from quivering. He felt that if he said more, he would stammer.

Out of the bag she had slung to her side, Maya pulled out a loaf of rather soft and slightly warm bread. Seeing that Gaara was making no move to take the bread from her, she lightly shoved the bread in front of his face. She watched as Gaara looked at the bread, then hesitantly raised a hand and took it from her. Then he examined it as if he had never seen a loaf of bread before in his life. She bit her lower lip lightly in amusement.

"Here, we had jam with our bread."

Maya pulled out a container from her bag and took off the lid. Inside was some rather sweet and delicious looking strawberry jam.

Gaara made no motion to take the container of jam from her. He was still busy pretending to examine the bread. Maya bit her lower lip slightly in amusement.

"Here, I'll hold the jam for you so you can break off pieces of the bread and dip it."

As she spoke, Maya scooted in closer to Gaara so that she could easily hold up the container full of jam for him.

Gaara's first instinct was to jump off the roof and run away, but he stifled this initial reaction and forced himself to maintain a stolid face and composed demeanor. She was so close to him that if he shifted a centimeter to the right, they would be touching shoulders.

Obediently, he broke off some bread and dipped it into the jam. Then he placed the food in his mouth and chewed. All the while, he avoided looking into Maya's eyes. He was afraid that if he looked into her eyes, she would be able to look into his and read all too clearly his state of unrest.

"How is it?" Maya asked and her shoulder bumped slightly against his as she spoke.

Gaara stopped chewing for a moment. When he continued to chew again, he nodded his head, glad to signal his response instead of verbalize it.

"It's good isn't it? I think they did a great job."

Maya rested her chin on her free hand with her elbow propped up on her lap. Gaara continued to eat, breaking off piece after piece of bread and dipping it in the jam that she held so maddeningly close. As he finished the last piece, he realized that he should have eaten slower, because now, they would have to talk.

"It really is nice up here at night. Do you come here every night?"

Gaara nodded again as he chewed on the last bits of bread and jam lingering in his mouth.

"I guess you need a place like this to go to when you've got all the pressures of being Kazekage."

Gaara made no response, and Maya seemed satisfied with this for a moment. She covered the jam, put it away, and spoke again.

"Your name is Gaara, right? Sabaku no Gaara (Gaara of the Sand)?"

Again, Gaara nodded.

"Would it be all right if I called you Gaara when we're not around the children?"

Gaara knew he couldn't carry on a conversation with just silent nods of the head, so he decided he would hazard speaking.

"Whichever you prefer."

He was relieved that his voice had not squeaked or stuttered as he spoke.

Maya smiled, pleased with his answer.

"Hmm…Gaara or Demon-san? It's hard to pick which one I like best. Which do you prefer?" Maya said with an impish smile.

Gaara finally looked her way, throwing her a nervous glance. Then he looked back out onto the view of the village and thought about her question. As his mind sunk into an answer his anxiety slowly smoothed out with his usual dull melancholy. His voice came out steadily, bringing her light hearted jest down to a more serious note.

"It doesn't matter. They both mean the same thing anyway."

Surprised by his sudden change in mood, Maya asked,

"What do you mean?"

"My name derives from 'ware wo ai sura shura (a self-loving carnage)', a gift from my mother as she died cursing the village with my existence."

Maya sat in silence for a moment as she took in his words. She looked into the distant horizon where the dark land met a dark sky. It was a place that seemed to be devoid of twilight.

"Is that why you have the red symbol of love on your forehead?" she asked.

"Yes," Gaara replied simply.

"The children always ask me why you have that on your forehead."

"What do you tell them?"

"That I don't know."

They sat for another moment, the light night breeze filling in the silence between them with the light flapping of their clothes.

"You didn't have that symbol on your face when you were a child," Maya observed in thoughtful tone. Gaara threw her a slightly startled glance, surprised she would notice such a detail from their childhood years.

"No," he confirmed, "no, I did not."

"You made it yourself?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"Yes," Gaara affirmed.

"Why?"

Gaara almost raised his hand to touch the symbol on his forehead, as if physically placing his finger on it would help him place a mental finger on its purpose in his life. He kept his hand down.

"I am a demon that loves only itself. Killing others is the way I prove my own existence. This is how I fulfill my mother's wish, her wish that I exist only to curse this village."

His voice came out in a drone, as if he were reciting a verse from a holy scripture he had been raised to believe in. These were the mental words he had spoken to himself over and over and over again since the day he learned the truth about his mother's feelings for him, the day he learned the truth of his beloved uncle's true feelings for him.

"The root of all evil is selfishness. This symbol on my forehead represents that, it represents me," Gaara added almost as an afterthought.

"Hm," Maya mused, "if you are the embodiment of evil itself, why did you protect Taro and the other children from the scorpion? Why did you call yourself a demon that protects this village? Why did you protect me?"

She raised her wrist up to his face emphatically to remind him of the events of the night before. Gaara looked at her wrist, a genuine look of bafflement on his face. Maya put her wrist back down and waited for his answer. Gaara thought quietly to himself for a moment before he spoke.

"I have…a friend in Konoha. He wishes to be Hokage of his village because he wants to protect those that he cares for. Being Hokage for him means to protect. I thought maybe being Kazekage…might mean the same thing," Gaara spoke haltingly. He was not used to talking about a friend, and he felt quite conflicted with the contradictory ideas of who he was supposed to be floating about in his mind.

Suddenly Gaara froze both in physical place and in his thoughts. Maya had slipped an arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. The affectionate gesture felt…nice…so nice that it was terrifying. So paralyzed with fear at the rush of emotions that suddenly assaulted his being that he could do nothing more than sit there wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

Maya smiled to herself, awash in her own thrill of emotions and a bit surprised by her own audacity. Here she was on the arm of the demon that she had feared ever since she could remember tenderly pressing her cheek on his shoulder. On her face was the same soft smile from earlier that day that expressed the fondness she felt for the man who called himself a demon but acted otherwise.

To Gaara's further discomfort, she suddenly stood up. Grabbing his arm with both hands, she swung in front of him, facing him while leaning back into the fall of the steeply slanted roof top behind her. Instinctively again, Gaara's fingers closed around her wrist and held her from her fall. Feeling his rough fingers wrapped around her wrist, Maya looked up into his pale blue, black ringed eyes as they looked upon her filled with astonishment. His short red hair waved in the breeze like a burning flame that accentuated the blood red symbol of love on his forehead.

Gaara in turn stared at the image of Maya before him, looking at that same disorienting, kind-hearted smile on her face from earlier that day, the sparkle of twilight in her brown eyes, and her flowing black raven hair that waved like burning silk in the wind.

Maya released both of her hands from their grip on his arm so that the only thing keeping her from falling was Gaara's hold on her wrist.

"So demons like ramen? I know a good ramen place in town. Let's have dinner together tomorrow night," she said in a good natured tone. Gaara just stared at her dumbfounded in response.

Maya looked away for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed at her own boldness. Then, with the timidity still lingering on her face, she added,

"Meet you here tomorrow night."

With that, Maya yanked her wrist free of Gaara's hold. For a moment, Gaara felt the flow of time slow for a moment as she fell backwards out of his grasp. He felt a pang in his chest at the sight of this, a precious ache at seeing her go.

Maya appeared to be letting herself free fall off the roof, her black hair panning out behind her like the wings of a dark angel. Then with an adept twist of her body, she was turned to face the direction of her fall, and right when it seemed like she would fall clear off the roof top, her right foot tapped ever so lightly on one of the many tiles that lined the top of this high building. She was off, flying across the rooftops away from him before he could say another word.

As Gaara sat there watching her form disappear in the distance, his mind raced as he was again trying to make sense of her actions and her words. The memory of what it felt like to have her resting her head on his shoulder lingered and the space next to him where she had sat so close by now felt unusually empty. He looked down at his hand that had once again involuntarily grabbed her wrist as she leaned into a fall off the roof, and he found himself missing her warmth, missing her presence, missing her.

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Gaara had spent all day in a state of constant restlessness. His little trip to the playground at lunch had been met with another bright, happy smile from Taro who had looked up at him adoringly as the children crowded around their Kazekage in friendly welcome. Gaara himself responded in unease, unused to the throng of positive attention from the children and the timid yet kind smiles he got from Maya herself. It was all too…normal for him.

Now he sat on his rooftop perch again. Having shed his Kazekage robes, he wore simply his long black coat. Instead of the usual peaceful melancholy that he would feel at this spot, he was more uppity than ever and had to consciously stop his finger from tapping on the edge that he sat on. It was late afternoon, and he stopped his work early today finding that he was unable to concentrate on anything. The attendants had given him a few unsure looks when he had asked them not to prepare him dinner for the evening. He himself couldn't believe what he was saying. He felt himself insane, more than usual anyways, and thought maybe Maya's invitation had been a hallucination of some sort, that she would not show up, and that he had imagined her tender smile up altogether. These thoughts made him feel lonelier than ever.

"You're here early."

Gaara turned with a start. So absorbed he was in his own ponderings that he had not even felt her presence. Maya smiled warmly.

"Are you hungry?" she asked amiably.

He wasn't one to have much of an appetite, but he nodded anyways, actually looking forward to some fresh made ramen.

"Me, too," she smiled. He stood, trying not to look as awkward as he felt. Brashly, she walked up to him and linked an arm around his. Maya surprised even herself, usually not this openly forward about her feelings, but she couldn't stave the urge to make her fondness for him absolutely clear. She just wanted him to know and was willing to risk all that came with having your heart on your sleeve to make sure he knew that she wasn't afraid of him, that she actually rather liked him.

Gaara was concurrently petrified at her bold actions and relieved to have her by his side again. He felt like trembling, but fought hard to prevent his body from doing so.

They walked through the streets of Sunagakure, with Maya leading the way. There were times when Gaara had preferred to take a less busy street to avoid the crowds of fearful and hateful stares. He had thought that Maya would have wanted to avoid such streets, too, since she was on the arm of the Kazekage, the village's cursed demon child himself. But she did not. In fact, he felt that she seemed to be purposefully taking the busiest streets as she led him towards their ramen destination.

The shocked stares and the hissing whispers were inevitable. Maya was well known among the villagers as a respected and loved teacher at the academy and as an excellent Sunagakure ninja. The villagers couldn't believe their eyes as they watched a village angel consorting with the village demon.

Gaara felt more uncomfortable than ever under the looks of the villagers, but he wasn't about to let any of them know of his discomfort. His face remained as placid as ever, and he walked as if he didn't have Maya on his arm. Occasionally, Gaara glanced over at Maya to see how she was reacting to the attention from the villagers. She seemed not to notice, but Gaara thought he caught some sense of resoluteness in her face despite her amicableness, as if her seemingly carefree smile was actually purposefully carefree.

They arrived at the ramen house to the dismay of its owners who had been eyeing them cautiously from afar as they approached. Politely, they greeted Maya and respectfully welcomed the Kazekage-sama. Maya and Gaara's conversation during their meal focused mainly around the food, what to order and then how everything tasted. The other customers and the ramen house owners themselves eyed them throughout their whole meal. A few customers hastily finished up their food and left.

Despite all the discomfort and unwanted attention, Gaara thoroughly enjoyed his meal of ramen. It brought back fond memories of Konoha. When they asked for the check, the owner insisted that they didn't have to pay. He smiled and bowed low as he refused to take payment.

"Kazekage-sama and his guests do not need to worry about such trivial things. Please accept this humble meal from us," he said. Gaara got the distinct feeling that the owner was avoiding looking him straight in the face, and that his politeness was actually masking fear that he daren't openly express. Anyone who had even an inkling of Gaara's abilities would know that on a whim he could effortlessly destroy the entire block and everyone in it.

Maya tried to maintain a lighthearted atmosphere.

"Wow, I should eat out with you all the time," she smiled at Gaara.

Blinking away the nervousness he felt at her saying this to him, especially in public, Gaara addressed the owner.

"Thank you for your hospitality. The food was delicious."

His voice was regal and full of formality. He bowed slightly in response and began to head towards the entrance. Maya linked herself again to his arm, and again he tried not to twitch with anxiety at her touch while he tried to forget about the weight of the stares he knew everyone in the room aimed in their direction as they left.

They stepped outside on the street from their early dinner, and the sun was just beginning to make its descent.

"Will you come with me out to the dunes?" Maya asked.

He looked down at her linked to his arm by his side, the sight and sensation of her being there with him causing him to feel so glad and so terrified at the same time that all he could manage was to maintain his usual placid face. He nodded slightly.

They walked to the edge of the village and began to make their way out into the seemingly endless ocean of sand that surrounded the Sunagakure. The dunes rose one after another turning a golden color in the progressing sunset. Maya kept walking and Gaara followed her lead until they were well out of the sight of the village, until all that surrounded them was the majestic dunes of the Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind).

They reached the top of a sand dune, and Maya let go of his arm and plopped herself down on the fine grained sand. After pausing a moment, Gaara sat down next to her, though leaving about a foot of distance between them. Winds blew lightly through the dunes sending up small ocean-sprays of sand. Gaara's black clothing contrasted sharply with the glowing sand around him.

"Is it always like that?" Maya asked

"Like what?" Gaara returned.

"People staring at you like that."

So used to being in the negative spotlight, Gaara had all reading pushed from his mind the discomfort at being stared at during their entire trip through the village and their experience at the ramen shop as the center of attention.

"Yes."

"So desu ne… (I see…)," Maya said thoughtfully, then added, "Tell me again why you made that symbol on your forehead."

Gaara looked over at her, saw that she was serious about the question, then stared back out at the enchanting dunes that undulated towards the horizon the setting sun was soon approaching.

"It's my name. I am the demon that loves only myself," Gaara repeated.

Maya was curious as to exactly what had prompted him to place the mark on his forehead and waited for him to say more but when it was obvious he wasn't willing to share any more about it, she realized it was time to back off of that question.

They sat in another moment of silence allowing the reddish-orange rays of the setting sun wash over them like a shower of warmth. The sand all around them seemed to absorb the sunlight and turn into grains of gold.

"My mother died, too, soon after I was born. So did my father."

Gaara turned to look at her as she stared out into the distance with a far away look in her brown eyes that reflected a bit of the golden sunlight. He hadn't expected her to share about her past.

"Taro's father died soon after he was born, too. The funny thing is, the cause of death for all three people was the same."

Gaara gave her a cautious look as he guessed the direction she was taking the conversation.

"I was told that when you were an infant, you turned into a monstrous demon one night and threatened to destroy the village. My parents were on the front lines fighting you off. They were both killed. I only know what they look like from their pictures. I was too young to remember anything of them."

She looked over at Gaara who immediately turned away. Keeping her eyes on his averted face, she continued on.

"Taro's father was sent by the previous Kazekage, your father, to assassinate you soon after his son was born. He failed."

Gaara felt her unrelenting stare fixed on him. He had never felt anyone's stare as deeply as he felt hers at this moment. Then a thought crossed his mind, and he concluded that he really must have been imagining everything that Maya was, that it had all been a lie he had been deluded enough to believe.

She was just another assassin. Nothing more.

This realization sunk into him, and instead of the usual insatiable rage, this time he felt only exhaustion. He was tired, tired of everything, and losing his hope that Maya had possibly not hated him broke his spirit. He didn't want anymore of this. First his uncle, then his mother, and now Maya. The disappointment was too much for him to carry, and he was tired of being the self-loving demon. He looked out at the dunes, and for a moment, found peace in the beauty of the scene.

"If you brought me out here to avenge the deaths of your parents and of Taro's father, you will not be able to accomplish your mission."

To demonstrate, Gaara pulled out a kunai from under his black coat. He held out his free hand and stabbed the kunai at it. As always, a spring of sand seemed to appear out of nowhere and blocked the sharp point of the knife from even getting close to Gaara's pale skin.

"I'll make it easy for you. Just return to the village, and I won't follow you. You are no match for me, so take the option of life while you still have it."

Gaara decided that he would rather sit here and die in this beautiful scenery then go back to the lifeless coffin of hate and fear that was his home village. He would let the wind cover him in blanket after blanket of sand so that he could simply become a long forgotten demon legend. At least here, he could be free of people's hateful looks in the afterlife.

To his surprise, Maya let out a laugh and shook her head. Gaara looked over at her, puzzled by her reaction and even a bit annoyed.

"If I was here to kill Sabaku no Gaara (Gaara of the Sand), do you think I would take him out to the location where he would be strongest? Right in the middle of the largest mass of sand in the entire world?"

The logic of her words hit him like a smack in the head. The tactical stupidity of assassinating someone who has instinctive control over sand in an ocean of sand dunes was now so painfully obvious that all of his dramatic words from earlier seemed all and all ridiculous. His brow furrowed in annoyance at his own oversight, and he shifted his weight irritably. Maya stifled another chuckle, but didn't try too hard to cover it up.

She scooted over next to him, linking her arm around his again. This time, she reached her hand down his arm and touched his hand, planning on slipping her fingers into his, but when her finger tips reached the skin on his hand, she stopped in astonishment. When he had grabbed her wrist, she had felt his touch was a bit on the rough side, but touching his hand with her own sensitive fingers, she realized why. The surface of his hand felt smooth, almost like a rough porcelain, as if he were a china doll of some sort. Then she recognized the sensation—it was just like when she pet the sand puppy Gaara had made for the children.

Maya sat up and turned all her attention down to his hand. She had a horrifying thought that maybe Gaara was all made of sand as well. She held his hand in both of her own, and then proceeded to press down on what was supposed to be his skin. To her surprise and relief, the porcelain-like surface cracked and underneath was Gaara's own skin, as human as ever. Following a sudden urge, she began to break off the shell of sand that covered Gaara's entire hand and dust it off so that his skin was free to breathe the evening air.

Then, with a curious and astonished expression on her face, she looked up into Gaara's face. Gaara looked away form her stare, feeling as if it were piercing right through his existence. He blinked in discomfort under her examination.

Maya turned in her seat so that she was fully facing Gaara. She changed her sitting position so that she was on her knees. She looked over his face in close detail, and then reached out one hand to tenuously touch his cheek. She let out a small gasp when her fingers felt the same porcelain-like shell of sand covering his face as well. Her other hand came up to his face, and her fingers ran over the surface of the shell of sand that masked away his real face. Gaara pulled away slightly at her touch, but he didn't pull completely away.

Biting her lower lip as she mentally prepared for what she would see, she pressed against the sand shell that covered his face and, just like on his hand, it cracked and fell away revealing real human skin beneath. She gently cracked and pulled off Gaara's mask of sand. As she pulled each piece of the mask off, it turned to loose sand and slipped through her fingers. Soon, his face was completely uncovered, and she was lightly dusting the remaining grains of sand off of his face. The loose sand rejoined with the dunes where they belonged.

Maya looked into Gaara's eyes and saw the exhaustion that was so clearly expressed in them, and she felt sad. She held his face gently in her hands and raised her lips up to kiss the eyes that had suffered thousands of nights of insomnia.

Gaara felt the tender touch of her lips on his eyes. It was like balm for his exhaustion, but at the same time, his brow was furrowed in worry. Maya pulled her face away from his and looked into his eyes again with a look of affection that Gaara had never experienced before in his life.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, concern and disbelief apparent in his tone of voice and on his face.

She gently cupped his cheeks in her two hands and caressed his face with her fingers.

"Don't get me wrong. I hate murderous demons."

Even more confused by her words, Gaara responded with a more puzzled look, but Maya only looked deeper into his eyes with resolve in her own.

"I know what you are. I know what you've done. But I have a soft spot for people who want to change for the better," Maya finished with a smile.

Gaara's eyes grew wide at her words. Then she surprised him with some more.

"Ganbatte (Do your best), Gaara."

Her smile was genuine, her touch was affectionate, and her brown eyes sparkled with care. With those words, she closed her eyes, pulled his face towards her own, and kissed his lips. Gaara was too surprise to follow her lead and close his own eyes. He could only stare down dumbfounded at her as she kissed him. At that moment, a large gust of wind blew a large cloud of sand up towards them from behind Gaara. Instead of hitting the two of them and breaking them apart, the windborne sand flowed around them as if they were encased in a spherical protective force field. Maya's hair streamed out like a silken black flame.

The red hot sun disappeared over the horizon in the distance. As Maya pulled away from him and smiled adoringly up at him, Gaara could only manage a week, timid smile back. He felt happier and more afraid than he had ever felt before in his life.

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Note: This last scene has been haunting me since February, so I'm so happy to finally share it with all of you. If it came out corny, then I didn't do the image in my mind justice (or maybe I'm just a corny person). This scene was inspired largely by a song called "Blackest Crow" by Jane Lui (look her up on MySpace). I've been wanting to make a Gaara AMV using that song, but all my preciously scarce spare time is being put into this fanfiction. _

_Are there any artists out there enjoying this story? I would love to see a visual version of any part of my fanfictions since I can't draw worth beans. I'll buy them off of you at an anime con if you're in CA. I've been to almost every CA con recently since I travel with the Random Ninjas as they tour (JTAF, Mikomicon, PMX, AniMagic, AniJam, AX, Nissei Week…)_

_Thank you for reading, thank you for your patience, and please look forward to the next chapters. There will be more Gaara, and the story will wind back to Konoha and on what the Akatsuki have been up to. _

_For all of you Jinchuriki fans out there, I think Edgar Allen Poe captured what it's like to be a demon container in his poem "Alone"_

**Edgar Allen Poe**  
(1809—1849)

ALONE

From childhood's hour I have not been  
As others were; I have not seen  
As others saw; I could not bring  
My passions from a common spring.  
From the same source I have not taken  
My sorrow; I could not awaken  
My heart to joy at the same tone;  
And all I loved, I loved alone.  
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn  
Of a most stormy life- was drawn  
From every depth of good and ill  
The mystery which binds me still:  
From the torrent, or the fountain,  
From the red cliff of the mountain,  
From the sun that round me rolled  
In its autumn tint of gold,  
From the lightning in the sky  
As it passed me flying by,  
From the thunder and the storm,  
And the cloud that took the form  
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)  
Of a demon in my view.


	29. Chapter 29

_Note: Super sorry for the long delay! I'm also sorry I haven't been able to reply to people's emails and messages and reviews and myspace messages like I usually do, though I want to say I appreciate all of them! I'm barely carving time out to get to my own creative writing in general, not just this fanfic, so THANK YOU so much for being patient and for sending me emails and PMs of reviews and requests for the next chapter! Also thank you to everyone who's saved this story to their lists and C2s etc.! I'm so honored! This chapter is rather fluffy and gives you some glimpses into what's happening in the lives of key characters for the rest of the plot so time's moving a big fast from one section to the next. Hope you enjoy and thank you so much for reading!_

* * *

All The Difference 29 

The moonlight was soft as it touched the rooftops of the Sunagakure with its gentle beams. Gaara, however, felt none of the peace that emanated from the quiet scene before him. He blinked as he tried to contain himself; it was the only visible sign of his unrest. The mask of sand that covered him held firm, hiding him away from the world while he sat silhouetted against the stunningly beautiful full moon. Then he felt it, her light steps on the rooftops that barely moved the sand that blanketed everything in the village. The force of his heart pounding strong in his chest surprised him. He felt its echoes reach every corner of his body. He even imagined it was causing vibrations in the air around him.

He watched as she came towards him, flying from building to building like the shadow of a cloud billowing across the sky. He imagined that she was just a figment of his imagination. That thought sent shivering ache through him, and again he blinked with anxiety.

When she reached him, he sat stolid as ever, staring blankly forward as if he didn't see her. Maya noticed the way he didn't respond to her presence at all.

"Gaara?" Maya asked with a bit of concern in her voice. She stood crouched on the ledge next to where he sat facing him. His lack of response to her presence bothered her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of insecurity as a result. Even his visit to the playground earlier that day had been a bit strained. He seemed to be avoiding her.

"Gaara? Daijobu desu ka (Are you all right)?"

Again no response. She had to resist calling him Kazekage-sama, thinking this formality might at least get him to say something or even look her way. She raised a hand and reached out for his shoulder. She had the impulse to shake him awake from whatever dream it was he seemed to be lost in.

The tip of her fingers had just touched the fabric of the Kazekage robes that draped so regally over his shoulder when Gaara grabbed her wrist. She gasped at his sudden movement but was more surprised when she felt herself pulled into his arms.

He held her tight, too tight actually. She felt a bit of her breath squeezed out of her and his tight grip slightly hurt her. He had buried his face under her flowing raven-black hair, and she could feel the smooth, porcelain-like sand surface against the skin of her neck. Her first instinct was to get out of this unexpected and intense embrace, but as soon as she was over her initial surprise, her eyes softened.

Ignoring the pain and discomfort, she reached tender arms around him to return the embrace. Then, as she looked up into the star filled night with a gentle smile on her face, she said,

"I missed you, too."

She slid a hand up his back and slipped her fingers into his red hair affectionately. Gaara's grip loosened and he pulled away. She allowed him space to move.

Looking up into his bowed face, she watched as his eyes blinked with anxiety and confusion as he was obviously trying hard to contain himself. He was inhaling and exhaling audibly through his nose, clearly trying to steady his breath. She brought her hands gently up to his face.

"Gomen (I'm sorry)," he said quietly in a low voice.

Maya smiled and shook her head slightly, a silent message for him not to apologize. Then she brought his face down to hers and pressed her forehead affectionately against his. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to protect him from everything, but much of what assaulted him was not easily blocked with kunai or sword. As the skin of her face touched the shell of sand that covered his features and felt the smoothness of the blood red character of love etched into it, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine the memories that were locked away in his mind, a lifetime of being detested, a lifetime of abandonment, and a lifetime of being all one with a tailed-demon. She was awoken from this silent reverie by the loosening of the sand covering Gaara's face. She opened her eyes and pulled away slightly just in time to see the sand slide off of his face.

Without his protective mask, Gaara looked down into her face with searching eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile, and in response, his anxious features relaxed and softened. Despite all of his reservations, all of his fears, he couldn't help but believe in the sincerity he saw in her eyes. And he wanted so badly to believe.

* * *

Naruto walked up the road that lead to the Academy. He looked down at his feet as he took step after step on this old, worn path of his. He looked up at the scenery that passed by him as he walked. It looked the same. 

He took a conscious breath, savored the fresh air, and thought about the passage of time. The Konoha air flowed through his young adult lungs. So many things were still the same; so many things were now different.

The view of the academy and the large trees that shaded its front courtyard came into view as it always had in his childhood. Underneath the largest tree, he saw the ropes of the old swing. Through his mind floated the feeling of sad nostalgia as he remembered how many times he sat in that lone swing by himself as he watched all the other children meet up with their families.

Today, the isolated swing was not empty. In it sat a growing young lady with silken blue hair and a large tan overcoat. A Konoha forehead protector tied up with blue cloth hung around her neck. She sat on the swing with her back towards Naruto, and her head was bowed over a book that she held open in her lap.

Naruto smiled with a soft warmth at the sight of her.

_It's not empty anymore_…he thought to himself. Inside him, Kyubi observed.

Naruto came up behind Hinata quietly, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and gave her a warm, affectionate embrace. Hinata let go of her book as she smiled happily at his arrival and reached up to touch his arms that held her. Naruto pressed his head pleasantly against the side of hers. Then, he surprised her with something she had never heard him say before.

"Tadaima (I'm home)."

Those words surprised even Naruto. He had never used them before.

At first, Hinata's eyes grew wide at the meaning of his words. Then, as it all sunk in, her pale eyes sparkled with a rare happiness that comes with finding the place where you truly belong.

"Okaierinasai (Welcome home)."

* * *

The young Konoha chuunin all met up with Naruto and Hinata in an opening in the thicket of Konoha forest. The ground there was dried and brown from constant beatings of footsteps. It was a common spot for people to stop at on a walk through the woods. 

They had been regularly going to spots like this, spots where the foliage was either thinned out with damage from battle or over use, to practice again the jutsu that Naruto and Hinata had promised to teach them.

After the greetings, Naruto and Hinata exchanged a cheerful look under the bright blue sky.

"Ready?" Naruto asked everyone. They nodded eagerly. Placing their hands together, everyone in unison formed the sequence of seals they had been practicing, one that had been used about a century earlier by the founder of Konoha, then all of them struck the ground with the palm of their hands and guided their molded, concentrated chakra into the life that was buried below.

Out from the ground sprouted some modest sized trees that grew just above their heads. The plants were young saplings that showed promise of a long life ahead of them, of a future where they would tower protectively over Konoha's land.

The chuunin grinned happily, glad to see the results of their hard work training together paying off.

* * *

"You wanted to see me Hyuuga-san?" 

Sasuke left his shoes outside the traditional dark-wood sliding door, closed it behind him, and walked into the Hyuuga family meeting room in the Hokage's office building. Though it was another bright beautiful day in Konoha outside, this room made completely of tatami flooring had no windows to the outside and was lit primarily by candlelight. Hyuuga Hiashi himself, Hinata's father, sat at the head of a very large, long black table with sitting pillows neatly placed and evenly spaced around it. In front of him was a series of candles that lit his workspace and a single scroll that was partially rolled open in front of him.

"Sasuke-kun, have a seat," Hiashi greeted the young Konoha nin.

Sasuke kneeled down at the low table next to Hiashi, curious as to why the head of the Hyuuga family household had summoned him to this Hyuuga family domain. He noticed Hiashi's solemn demeanor.

"Sasuke-kun, you and Uzumaki Naruto are good friends, correct?"

Sasuke was a bit surprised. This was probably the last thing he expected the Hyuuga leader to ask him about in such a formal environment.

"Yes."

Hiashi nodded and looked down at the scroll in front of him. Sasuke felt like he was looking at more than the scroll that lay so simply on the black table surface. Hiashi looked as if he were lost in an old memory.

"Your father and I, we were as you and Naruto are."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide. Again, he had come to this meeting not expecting such personal topics to be the main subject of conversation.

"So desu ka (Is that so)…" Sasuke couldn't think of what else to say.

"I grieved deeply when he was murdered," Hiashi said sincerely.

Sasuke nodded in silent, grateful acknowledgement.

"I was more reserved like you when I was young, and your father, well, he was a bit like Naruto."

Sasuke's showed total surprise and confusion. His father? Like Naruto? The image of a younger version of his father running around with buckets of paint vandalizing the Hokage statues and downing large bowls of ramen made him raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, he was quite the prankster in class. He and Hisashi, they were very close as well," Hiashi said with a fond smile.

Sasuke looked back at him with interest.

"Once your father and Hiashi ambushed me with water balloons and I spent the rest of the school day in drenched clothes."

"Really…" Sasuke said with a laugh, still unable to believe his father was actually a rambunctious prankster as a child. He had only known his father as the stern parent that he had always wanted to prove himself to.

Hiashi looked back down at the scroll in front of him, and his slight smiled faded.

"I'm sure you are fully aware of the Uchiha clan's Mangekyo Sharingan (Kaleidascope Copy Wheel Eye)."

Sasuke's smile faded as well.

"Yes."

"Your father probably never had the opportunity to tell you this, but the Uchiha clan actually has an even more powerful Ougi (secret) technique, one that surpasses the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Sasuke gave Hiashi another wide-eyed look of disbelief, but this time there was a wild excitement playing at the corners of his face. He had always thought that the Mangekyo sharingan was the most powerful Uchiha clan technique.

"Yes, your father seemed to have sensed the oncoming actions of your brother, because he gave this scroll to me for safe keeping the day before he was killed. He told me that he had purposefully kept this particular technique secret from Itachi, that he had lead Itachi to believe that the Mangekyo sharingan was the strongest technique of the Uchiha clan."

Hiashi rolled up the scroll in front of him, carefully sealed it, and pulled out a black, silken Japanese scarf and wrapped the scroll in side it. Sasuke eyed the scroll with an eagerness he could barely contain.

"This technique has only been mastered by your great great grandfather, one of the founders of Konohagakure, and only an Uchiha bloodline limit descendant can master it again. Your brother, as he is today from the road he has chosen to take in life, is actually completely incapable of fully mastering this technique anymore. Even if he were to read this scroll, he would not be able to execute it. Your father believed that you would be the true heir of Uchiha."

Sasuke blinked in surprise. He never knew his father had had such confidence in his abilities. It had always been Itachi this and Itachi that. Sasuke had always felt like he could only ever be second best compared to his brother. But to inherit the most powerful technique of the Uchiha clan? It was beyond his wildest dreams as a ninja.

"Your father told me, you had much of your mother's personality in you, and Uchiha was more like him. Coupled with the Sharingan, that made you more likely to master the ougi than Itachi."

"My personality?" Sasuke puzzled.

"I take it you know what must be done to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Sasuke nodded solemnly.

"The Mangekyo Sharingan is a fearsomely powerful technique, make no mistake about that. However, it is just a test to prove the worthiness of the ninja to learn the Uchiha ougi, the ultimate technique."

Wide-eyed, Sasuke shook his head slightly to show that he didn't understand.

"It is a test of temptation to assess the strength of your character. Only by denying the Mangekyo Sharingan can you learn the more powerful technique. In fact, obtaining the Mangekyo destroys any chance of ever learning the strongest technique. That is why your brother can not learn this technique, and that is why your father kept this secret from him, because he did not pass the test. He took the bait and is now caught in a trap."

"A trap?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. The Mangekyo is a parasitic jutsu in that each time it is used, it will drain its user and decrease his ability to use it again later. It also slowly drains the user's over all chakra in an irreparable manner even when it is not being used. This technique slowly but surely destroys the user's ninjutsu. Your brother must have realized its effects over time, and, if my guess is right, this may be the reason for his joining the Akatsuki. He is looking for a way to reverse its effects."

Sasuke turned over the deluge of information in his mind as he fit the new pieces of information into his existing understandings. Hiashi broke into his thoughts with his authoritative voice.

"Uchiha Sasuke, on behalf of your father and in honor of one of Konoha's respected noble families, the Uchiha clan, I congratulate you on passing the test."

Sasuke's jaw dropped. He had been so engrossed in all the new information that he had forgotten to apply it all to himself.

"When you left to join Orochimaru, I had thought the Uchiha clan and its Ougi were lost forever. When Naruto came back from the mission to retrieve you alive, I wondered if there was a glimmer of hope. When you came back to Konoha, that hope broadened, but I was unsure of whether or not you had truly shown your worthiness yet. Your defeat of Orochimaru at the Chuunin exams demonstrated two things. First, it proved to me that you were deserving of the Uchiha Ougi. On top of that, you showed that your father's hunch was right, that you had the potential to master the Uchiha Ougi because in your fight with Orochimaru, you used it to defeat him to protect those who were important to you."

"I…used it?" Sasuke said in disbelief.

"Yes. The technique was executed in a less controlled, instinctive way, but it was incredibly effective against Orochimaru's possession of your body, was it not?"

"Less controlled?...Instinctive?" Sasuke was still in a mild shock of disbelief.

Hiashi nodded at the young Uchiha heir and could not help but smile in amusement.

"Indeed. Now, can you imagine how powerful the Uchiha Ougi will be when you've fully trained and honed it?"

Sasuke's hands gripped into tight fists in excitement. He was ready to begin training immediately. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, if no one living today knows it, then who will train me? Not even my father mastered it?"

"This technique is very much a personal journey, one that you all ready began when you took your first steps back towards Konoha. This scroll was written by your ancestor, and he will be your guide. However, in my studies of this technique, I suggest you seek counsel from an expert in medical ninjutsu…specifically in the field of psychological healing."

Sasuke smiled knowingly at Hiashi's hint. He knew just the person to go to.

Hiashi handed him the scroll with two hands, and Sasuke received it deferentially with two hands and a low bow.

With that, Sasuke stood up, eager to begin studying the scroll. Hiashi's voice stopped him again in his tracks.

"Sasuke-kun," he called to him.

Sasuke turned to look at the Hyuuga senior.

"I'm sure your father is immeasurably proud of you."

Sasuke smiled, a smile that painfully and happily reminded Hiashi of his old childhood friend. Sasuke turned to face him again respectfully.

"Hyuuga-san, honto ni arigatogozaimasu (I really thank you very much)," Sasuke said with the sincerest gratitude that he had ever expressed in his life. Today, many lost pieces of the puzzle of his life were found. And they would have been lost forever if it had not been for the friendship between his father and this senior Konoha nin before him. More than ever he was ready to fulfill his duty as a Konoha ninja, and the will to rebuild the Uchiha clan burned in his chest like never before.

* * *

Surrounded by birdsong and the peaceful trickling water in the stream that flowed around the rocks underneath her feet, Lluvia blocked the oncoming fist Chingis had flung at her. With the dexterity of a lifetime of taijutsu training, she grabbed his wrist, turned her body, and pulled his arm over her shoulder throwing him a sizeable distance away from her. With equal skill, Chingis landed deftly on the side of a rock and shot back towards her, fists flying again. Lluvia spun to the side to avoid the onslaught, and Chingis landed on another rock nearby. He perched himself there as he observed her, waiting for her next move. 

"No good," Lluvia said.

He jumped down from his high perch and hopped on a few rocks towards her.

"Damn, how do they move so fast?" Lluvia exclaimed with a bit of exasperation in her voice.

"Simple. They've trained more than we have," Chingis responded.

Lluvia's mouth scrunched up with irritation and then exclaimed, "I've trained my whole life!"

"Still, they must have trained more," Chingis said unrelenting in his cold logic.

Lluvia conceded with a heavy sigh. She wasn't used to not being the best, and here in Konoha, there were plenty of ninja that far surpassed her in many respects. Though the time she spent here in Konoha was the best time of her life, she had also never been more frustrated in her life as a martial artist.

"Maybe it's the eyebrows," Llluvia said as she wriggled her own.

Chingis let out a short laugh in spite of himself. Lluvia was surprised by his laugh, but was quick to smile in his direction as they shared in their mutual amusement and awe at the amazing taijitsu capabilities of two green-clad Konoha nin.

Lluvia looked back down at the water that flowed between the rocks and played over the pebbles. As if reading her mind, Chingis spoke.

"You could always use your special ability."

Lluvia heaved another sigh, her eyes reflecting the glimmering water that she stared into.

"Yeah, but where's the satisfaction in that? I don't want my life to be defined by the demon sealed inside me. I define myself, I make myself, and you're never going to change that."

Chingis understood all to well that the "you" in her steadfast statement was not directed at him. He looked at her flashing, light-brown eyes as she seemed to stare down the water, daring it to possess her. He knew it all to well, the struggle with the wild voice inside and the seduction of the tailed-demon's power. This was the burden of the jinchuriki.

Then Chingis said something that surprised even himself.

"Can I keep you?"

Lluvia broke out of her focus on the water and looked over at him in confusion as she tried to figure out if she really heard what she thought she heard, and then what he could possibly mean by saying those words.

Embarrassed by his sudden assertiveness, Chingis felt the urge to turn his face away, but he also wanted to see how she would respond to what he had said. He kept his eyes on her remaining as expressionless as he could.

Lluvia's confused expression soon loosened into a smile that was a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. She bit her lower lip to keep from smiling too widely. Then she let out a short laugh.

"Sure, if you buy me a bowl of ramen," Lluvia said with a teasing smile.

* * *

"'Only with no desire for the power of the ougi will you obtain it.'" 

Sakura listened to Sasuke's voice attentively as he read the scroll out loud to her. She unpacked a bento box full of her mother's sushi and handed to him. Then she opened one for herself. They sat in the dining room of Sasuke's childhood home. The Uchiha clan neighborhood was still in the process of being rebuilt, but Sasuke's home had become habitable again, and he had promptly moved back in bringing life back again to it's abandoned grounds.

"'The greatest power lies in not wanting any while moving forward to obtaining it.' This doesn't make any sense!"

Sasuke furrowed his brow in frustration. His heart had been beating fast with anticipation when he first unfurled the scroll, but now, all he felt was confusion.

"Practically every sentence contradicts itself. 'Strike without striking, win without winning, gain without desire'…This is the third time we've read through this scroll, and I'm not any closer to understanding it than before I even set eyes on it."

"Maybe it's one of those things you can only understand when you're there, in the moment, or something. You know, experiencing it first hand. It's probably something hard to capture into words."

"I wish my great, great grandfather was here to explain it to me."

"Yeah, but don't you think he'd probably just say the same things he's written in that scroll?" Sakura said as she popped a sushi in her mouth.

Sasuke let out a loud sigh.

"Yes, probably. I just wish I could at least figure out how I'm supposed to 'train' for this jutsu."

"Well, what about this part?"

Sakura took the scroll from him and scanned the text a bit.

"'Focus on the beauty in your soul and you will find the way to true selflessness,'" she read as Sasuke munched on some sushi himself.

He washed down the food with some iced green tea, then looked down at the table thoughtfully.

"The beauty in my soul huh?...I got an idea. Remember that technique you used to help me recover my memories? Can you do that again?"

"Sure."

They finished their meal, and went out to the covered outdoor walkway facing the greenery and scenically placed rocks of the garden. Sasuke sat down cross-legged looking like he was preparing for meditation. He looked out at the pleasant scenery as Sakura kneeled behind him, reached a hand around to the front of his head, and placed two fingers on his forehead just between his eyebrows. He closed his eyes.

"Ready?" Sakura asked.

"Yes."

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked up into a pristine, cloudless blue sky. Beneath it was a hill covered in lush green grass that waved soothingly to the rhythm of a quiet zephyr. All over the hill grew cherry trees in full blossom. The pink, blooming sakura rolled gently in the breeze. At the foot of the hill was a shallow lake that Sasuke stood in. The water lapped briskly against his shin, its coolness awakening and heightening all of his senses. The fresh air brushed lightly against his skin as he realized he was in a pair of swim trunks and nothing else. He felt a peace and freedom within that no amount of chakra energy and ninjutsu power could ever be traded for.

"Gyah!"

He heard Sakura squeal behind him. He turned around to face her, and found that the scenery behind her was an endless extension of the shallow lake. It was an eternal, sparkling sea that stretched as far as the eye could see, a liquid reflection of the blue sky above. Sakura herself had her arms crossed across her chest as she tried to cover herself. She hugged herself and pressed her legs together as if she were freezing cold, but she wasn't cold at all in the pleasant weather. She had just realized that she was wearing nothing but a pink two-piece bikini as she stood in the brisk, shallow water.

"What's wrong? Is it too cold?" Sasuke genuinely asked with curiosity and concern.

Sakura shot him a look with narrow eyes and wry suspicion.

"Did you just drag me into one of your sick fantasies?" she said half joking, half serious, and half accusing.

Sasuke furrowed his brow for a moment in thought as he tried to understand what she was talking about, then he understood and he let out an amused laugh.

"Something like that," he said with a jocular smile.

"Look," he said as he stepped aside and waved his arm up at the hillside of sakura trees, "the beauty inside my soul."

Sakura had been so distracted by her own state of clothing that she hadn't had a chance to take in the scenery around her. She looked upon the blue sky over gorgeously pink blossoming sakura and felt immediately more relaxed.

"So, what do you think?" Sasuke asked as he looked back at the beautiful sakura that were reflected so elegantly in the shallow lake they stood in.

"It's amazing…so beautiful…" Sakura said full of wonderment while taking a few steps forward and letting her arms fall to her side as she allowed herself to be enveloped by the feelings the scene in front of her evoked. She and Sasuke stood side by side now as they gazed upon the view.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked further.

"It all feels really peaceful, relaxing…happy."

Sasuke smiled. A substantial breeze suddenly picked up and swept through the hillside orchard of sakura blossoms causing the loosened petals to fly into the sky and float on the wind. Sakura gasped in awe as the petals floated towards them and brushed their silky surfaces against their skin. The experience left a most serene smile on her face, and she felt as if she were in heaven.

"What is this place?"

"This," Sasuke began as he turned to look at her and took her hand in his, "is how I feel when I'm with you."

Sakura looked over at him and blinked in surprise at his words. Then she began to blush. It was as if she had looked upon the most beautifully painting she had ever set eyes on and the artist was telling her she was the inspiration. It was all too overwhelming. At the same time, Sakura was happy that Sasuke had this now in his mind and soul. She had seen some of his most horrid memories; it was important to have ones like these as balm to the wounds of his traumatic life.

She smiled happily back at him.

"It's absolutely beautiful. Thank you."

Sasuke's dark eyes reflected the blissful glimmer of the water below, and Sakura had never seen him so happy and at peace before. They stood there hand in hand, gazing upon the view, feeling the elegant beauty, and enjoying life to the fullest.

* * *

Naruto slurped up the last bit of soup from the large bowl of Ichiraku ramen. It was bright and early, and the modest little ramen house was open just for him. Naruto's monstrous appetite was enough to make it worth it for them to open a couple hours earlier in the mornings just for the only ninja who had ramen for breakfast. He was, of course, their best customer. 

"Next!" Naruto said enthusiastically, requesting his fifth bowl.

"Hai hai," the boss said with a knowing smile.

As his fifth bowl was promptly served, Naruto paused for a moment before he began to eat. He felt the presence immediately, and moments later, Chingis ducked under the short curtain flaps that hung across the Ichiraku store front.

"Ohayou!" Naruto said with a warm mile.

"Ohayougozaimasu," Chingis replied politely through his black mask. Naruto's smile broadened. Though Chingis was still a bit unapproachable with his dark clothes and his stand-offish demeanor, Naruto was glad to see that Chingis was at least responding to people instead of totally shutting down.

"One ramen to go please, sir," Chingis ordered.

"Oh? Not going to stay for a meal?" Naruto asked.

"This order is for Lluvia."

"She's lucky to have someone to deliver fresh made ramen to her," Naruto said with an even broader smile. He was also glad at how well Chingis and Lluvia were getting along.

Chingis gave Naruto an acknowledging nod, then looked back at the boss to watch him prepare the food. Before he realized it, Naruto's index finger was tapping at his exposed forehead. Instinctively, he jerked his head backwards but luckily only harmlessly hit the curtain flaps that he had ducked under earlier. With his eyes, he gave Naruto a perplexed look.

"Ah hahahaha, gomen (sorry), I just heard that people die when they touch you, so I wanted to try it out," Naruto said with a slightly embarrassed laugh.

A number of things ran through Chingis' head. First, he got over the shock of the sudden, unexpected move on Naruto's part. Second, he was amazed that touching his skin had not effect on Naruto. Any normal person would have been out cold at least with a really bad electric shock if not dead from the ordeal. Last but not least, Chingis realized that Naruto had moved so quickly that Chingis didn't even see him coming. He made a mental note of Naruto's speed which, at least in his experience as a ninja, was unprecedented.

"Here's your ramen young man," the boss handed a bag of packaged ramen over to Chingis without skipping. Apparently, the Ichiraku personnel didn't find Naruto's speed nor his strange behavior the least bit unusual.

"We should have ramen together sometime. Say hi to Lluvia for me," Naruto said with another friendly smile.

"Thank you. I will."

As Chingis turned to leave, Naruto's voice stopped him.

"Hey Chingis! It's good to have you here in Konoha! I hope you stay!" Naruto said warmly with a wave of his ramen soup drenched chopsticks. Then the spiky haired ninja went back to his meal.

Chingis stood for a moment and stared thoughtfully at Naruto, the carrier of the Kyubi. Then he left to deliver his precious package.

_

* * *

Note: I hope that was some enjoyable fluff! A little preview for the next couple of chapters, we're going to go back to being a bit more Gaara-centric for a bit. All I'll say is some major stuff is going to happen to him and the rest of the characters. Also, just a quick note on Akatsuki: I'm not too familiar with all the Akatsuki characters, so I most likely won't go into depth with any of them except for Itachi (I've been avoiding getting addicted to Naruto manga though when my life is less busy, I will be rewarding myself with manga madness). For anyone who's interested, I've published to the web a short story that I submitted to a popular fiction writing contest for Writer's Digest. I hope I win, of course, but even if I don't, I really like the story myself so I hope you can check it out and even give me feedback if you'd like to. Just go to tinabot dot googlepages dot com and you should come to a green, Japanese looking webpage with the title "Love Song" at the top. Also, I've published two articles recently on AsianWeek dot com in the entertainment/arts section about Pacific Media Expo and the movie "Shinobi: Heart Under Sword" (which super super rocks by the way! If you love Naruto and ninja, you will love Shinobi!) Thank you all again for reading and for your patience! Please look forward to the next chapter! _


	30. Chapter 30

_Author's Note: Thank you thank you thank you for your patience. These last few months have been so unexpectedly crazy. I'm SO happy to finally be able to get this chapter out to you all so I hope that some of this will somehow make up for the long dry spell of no updates (emo tear). Thank you to everyone who emailed me and messaged me. It kept me going so that I could get back to this story. Also, in order to get this out to you faster (and not have to wait two or so more days to get it out to you), I skipped over a last check of the text. So please, if you see any typos or really confusing parts, let me know. _

_Editing Note: Many of you have offered to do some edits. Thank you for offering such valuable help! Please send me any feedback you see in terms of Japanese correction, spelling, grammar, etc. as reviews for the particular chapter you are editing, and I will work to repost those chapters with fixes periodically. (I had originally planned to just go back and fix everything when I'm done with the whole, super long series, but I think this is a better idea)._

_I hope you enjoy this new chapter and rest assured that more are on the way! This fanfic will not be abandoned!_

* * *

All The Difference 30

Gaara went through his papers in a calm but not stolid manner. A faint smile crossed his face as he thought of the dinner date he had with Maya that evening. He wanted nothing more than to see her again, to feel her presence near him. The precious ache inside his chest, the longing to be with her emanated from somewhere within his chest—it replaced what used to be the dull pain of emptiness.

As he perused over scroll after scroll of official reports and documentation, he found himself often staring blankly at the written text as his mind drifted off to Maya and the growing memories he had of her. He enjoyed just thinking about her, remembering her, how she smiled at him, how she laughed at him, how she cared for the children, her stubbornness, the fiery determination he saw in her eyes, the look of tender affection she directed at him—all of it permeated his consciousness and he was happy to have it as a part of him. Their time spent together was simple; meals of ramen, strolls on the sand dunes, staring at the night stars that brightened the Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind) sky. Every new moment and memory was more and more precious as time went by. Gaara felt as if he were in a pleasant dream that seemed to float above the dark ocean of his existence. He was afraid it would evaporate at any moment.

His attention was pulled away from one of his faint daydreams when his eyes caught a name on the paper he was currently holding.

'Sato Maya – Chuunin – Available for mission assignment.'

Gaara's hold of the paper tightened, and he instinctively brought it a bit closer to his face as if he expected to find that he had only imagined her name on the paper. But sure enough, her name was written there in plain ink along with the rest of the available nin at the moment that needed assignments.

Normally, chuunin assigned to the academy were unavailable for mission assignment because they were in fact assigned to a mission, the mission to train new ninjas and protect the village and its most vulnerable in the event of an attack. Though all chuunin at some point would work at the Academy, few became permanent instructors there. It was no small task, and those chosen to fulfill this assignment on a continual basis were not only strong ninjas, they have unique abilities, knowledge, and training to maximize of the potentials of new generations of ninja. Maya was one of these selected few, and for her to be available for mission assignment, she had to have been unassigned from her current mission as an instructor at the academy.

Gaara summoned for her right away.

Maya stepped into the hallway and, as any other chuunin would do, she bowed respectfully and addressed him formally.

"Kazekage-sama."

When she stood up from her bow, she saw that Gaara was frowning at her formalities. Maya smiled at his frown. He had become progressively more expressive of his feelings in the past few weeks. She took it as a good sign.

"Gaara, what's wrong?" Maya asked to start the conversation, though she knew that her current mission status was what was bothering him. The two of them were alone in the large hall.

"Why have you been relieved of your duties at the academy?"

Maya sighed. She knew he would get straight to the point. She had been deciding what to tell him about the whole situation for awhile, and at this moment, she decided a simple explanation was probably the best way to go. It was still hard to talk about though, and she took a deep breath before she began.

"Parents were complaining that I wasn't a good fit for the position, and the head instructor agreed, so I was asked to resign and I did."

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her. The hurt in her voice was apparent, though she was also obviously trying to appear as unaffected about it as possible. Gaara's grip tightened on the stone armrest of his throne-like perch.

"What was it that made you unfit to be an instructor at the Academy?" Gaara tried to keep as calm as possible as he fished for a logical explanation, but his voice came off as stern and almost scolding nonetheless.

Maya looked down for a moment, her brow furrowing a bit as she couldn't help but show how unpleasant it was for her to talk about this. Gaara noticed the fleeting sign of sadness in her eyes as she looked away from him and his own eyes softened. His tight grip loosened a bit.

"Maya."

He said her name in a voice that to the outsider might have sounded like a simple, cold acknowledgement, but Maya heard the care and concern that was subtly infused in the sounds of his speech. She looked back up into his eyes in response to his call to her and saw tenderness she heard confirmed on countenance. It gave her courage to tell him more. Unlike what another Sunagakure ninja would have done, she walked up to stand next to him and put a hand on his arm.

Gaara watched her as she approached him, finally finding himself looking up at her as she put a warm hand on his arm. Even through his thick Kazekage robes, her touch was so comforting. He relaxed in happy response to being near her again.

"Gaara, the parents, the other instructors…it's because I'm with you now."

For a moment Gaara stared up at her, the implications of what she said not fully reaching him. Then, as he began to understand, he was torturously torn away from his state of calm and peaceful repose. His eyes narrowed as he realized. The villagers were now shunning Maya because of her association with him. It was as if the leprosy of his existence had spread to her. Maya looked on with growing upset as Gaara's face slowly turned away from her and a look of hate spread across his face.

Then she felt it. Suddenly, all of the sand and dust that rested on the stone ground of the great hall shifted outward about a meter, as if a blast of wind had just hit the ground. But there was no wind; all the windows and doors were shut tight. And Maya had felt the blow clearly from its epicenter—Gaara.

Maya felt the uncontrollable shiver that suddenly assaulted her spine and spread out to every inch of her body. A few drops of sweat formed on her brow. What she felt from Gaara was no simple wind. It was the purest and most intense murderous intent she had ever felt in her life. She was a seasoned ninja who had faced and defeated many high skilled opponents, but she knew very well, Gaara, with his strengths, talents, and special abilities, was in a whole other league.

The look that she saw on his face was not just hate and anger, it was bloodlust. What scared her even more than the killer intent and the livid glint in his eye was the slowly curving smile that crept across his face. It was as if he were thoroughly enjoying a scene of carnage that played inside his mind, and the look had a disturbing flavor of hysteria. This was the village demon, she told herself. Here was the monster that had cursed her home land for so long.

Outside and around in the building, many people stopped a moment and turned instinctively towards the Kazekage's hall at that moment. Their hearts were gripped with a fear they could not understand, and they all tried to shake off the unrest and go back about their business. Every heart resolved to avoid their village leader's presence even more.

Maya's first impulse was to run. She felt like a deer in headlights, too paralyzed from fear to do anything. She looked down at her hand that was still on his arm, then back up at the maniacal bloodlust painted across his sand-covered face. The symbol of love glowed red on his pale forehead, and as her eyes fell upon it, they widened and then she closed them in haste. First she tried to control her breathing, and then she willed her body to stop shivering. Then her eyes opened again, and nothing about the sight in front of her had changed.

Continuing to keep her breathing focused and controlled, she began to speak.

"Gaara…"

Her voice seemed faint and faraway even to herself, lost in the surreal haze of fear that engulfed her. She tightened her hand around the Kazekage's arm as she spoke in a firmer, louder voice.

"Gaara."

The demon turned his eyes curiously to look upon Maya. Maya willed herself to remember Gaara's tender eyes as she looked down at the demonic ones that now stared up at her without recognition. She felt the warmth his eyes had given her just moments earlier and remembered the sadness she had seen in them so many times. Her body stopped shivering and her breath even out. She looked sadly down at Gaara and reached her free hand out to touch the demon's cheek.

"Gaara," she said again.

The Kazekage's face broke from its icy glare, and Maya watched with relief as the contours of his face regained the features of the young man she had grown to adore.

"Maya…," Gaara said in surprised recognition, as if she had materialized in front of him out of thin air. He blinked and was a bit disoriented as he asked, "What happened?"

"You were angry."

Gaara gave her a puzzled look.

She blinked in a bit of surprise at his sudden loss of grounding, but she kept firm and smiled warmly while she pressed her hand against his cheek.

"You were angry that the villagers made me quit instructing at the Academy."

Gaara blinked in confusion as bits and pieces of what had just happened were there and yet not there, as if he were picking them up and they were slipping out of his grip each time he tried to put them in place.

"It's okay Gaara," Maya said with a reassuring smile, "It's hard for people to understand, everyone's got their reasons, but don't worry, I'm here with you."

Gaara looked up at her still blinking with confusion. He seemed to have figured out some of what just happened, but it was still cloudy and unclear. But Maya's words were comforting. In the malaise of confusion, discomfort, and fear, she was like a lifeline that gave him some semblance of feeling grounded and safe.

"I'll be here with you. No matter what. I promise."

And he believed her.

* * *

_Only with not desire for the power of the ougi will you obtain it_.

Sasuke mulled over the words written by his ancestor.

_The greatest power lies in not wanting any while moving forward to obtaining it._

At times he thought maybe his great great grandfather had written this scroll full of conundrums as a cruel joke for his future Uchiha generations.

_Focus on the beauty in your soul and you will find the way to true selflessness._

Sasuke looked over at the cascade of pink hair strewn across his right arm and shoulder. He was sitting under a tree with Sakura next to him. She had fallen asleep peacefully resting against him. He felt the steady breath of her slumber, and it calmed him like nothing else in the world could. He gave the top of her head an affectionate kiss, the rested his cheek against her silken locks.

He looked out onto the greenery around them; the lush plant-life of Konoha seemed move with a steady breath as well.

His thoughts drifted back to the mysterious and incomprehensible Uchiha clan ougi. A faint realization played at the edges of his thoughts. It seemed like every time he tried to figure out his great great grandfather's words, they somehow lead him back to thinking about Sakura, as if she was an answer of some sort.

Sasuke thought back to the beautiful inner image he had shown Sakura, a mental representation of what it felt like to love her, and breath and body relaxed even more. He fancied that the key to the ougi may have something to do with this imaginary place that he had created in his mind to convey the feelings he had for Sakura.

With a slight shrug of his free shoulder, he decided, it couldn't hurt to try. He closed his eyes and began to think about all the people who were important to him, from his deceased mother to his rambunctious childhood friend and current teammate. He put together a mental representation that for him expressed the thoughts, feelings, and memories he had for each person.

When he was satisfied with his efforts this mental exercise, he read over the scroll again.

He felt that maybe he understood it a little better this time, but he still felt very much in the dark.

The last line read:

_The Ougi is more powerful than the Mangekyo Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye) just as selflessness always prevails over selfishness._

Sasuke read over this sentence a few more times before he decided he would try doing the same mental exercise with the person he hated most in this word—his brother.

* * *

Naruto stood atop one of the high telephone poles in the middle of Konoha. The moon was a large, glowing disc that hung protectively over the sleeping Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire). The red swirl patch on the back of his army-green Chuunin vest glowed like a steady fire. Naruto allowed the pleasant moonlight and the cool night breeze to relax his soul, and he took a deep breath. His eyes scanned the rooftops of the village buildings, devotedly keeping up his night watch duties.

Despite the seemingly simple task before him, his current assignment was troubling. Aside from the more seasoned Jounin like Kakashi sensei, Naruto and his group of newly inducted Chuunin friends (plus Shikamaru) were some of the most valuable assets of Konoha at the moment, especially in its current state of ninja-shortage.

Naruto had noticed the unsettling pattern of Tsunade-obachan's assignments. Despite the still unyielding flow of jobs coming to the Hokage office, Tsunade had been increasingly assigning even the simplest missions to the Jounin and keeping the Chuunin at home on patrol. It was a defensive tactic to send the strongest ninja on away missions while keeping high-level Chuunin with a home-court advantage on alert. Something was coming, and Naruto had no doubt it was the Akatsuki.

Ero Sennin (Perverted Hermit) had been back and forth on his solitary reconnaissance missions, and the look that Naruto saw the two remaining legendary Sennin giving each other was a grave one. Naruto was even more disturbed when they looked at him with a serious, protective glint in their eyes. He knew very well that he was a target of the Akatsuki.

He looked at the Hokage's office building in the distance. The black letters of the character for 'fire' and the hokage head sculptures on the mountain above all took on new meanings for him. In his mind, he saw the 10-year-old version of himself hopping from rooftop to rooftop with a bucket of paint.

"Hokage…desu ka?"

He had wanted to become the most powerful ninja so that everyone would recognize him, would acknowledge his existence. It had both been the desperate cry for attention of a neglected child and the courageous attempt to keep a sane grounding in an unstable mind assaulted by demonic desires.

Now, he realized, the loving attention of one blue-haired girl was the only recognition and safe grounding he would ever need.

As if summoned by his thoughts of her, he saw Hinata flying up towards him, jumping from one roof top to another as she rose amongst the buildings to meet him. In her hand was a scarf wrapped package which, Naruto knew, held his dinner and snacks that would last him throughout his night shift.

She flew towards him as he stood on the tall wooden pole. Naruto smiled at her pale eyes that glowed like precious pearls in the twilight as they joyously looked upon him. It was only natural for him to raise his arms out expectantly to welcome her.

Expertly controlling her momentum and velocity like the high-level kunoichi she was, she jumped into his arms as if she were only stepping into them, and the two held their dangerous yet controlled and balanced embrace on top of the pole.

Naruto adoringly held her close, his heart emanating a sense of priceless happiness. As he felt her bury her face into his chest and hug him affectionately, he looked up and saw again the sight of the Hokage building and the sculptures of the Hokage above. Then he realized something that he had not seen before. The eyes of the Hokage had a look of resolve. Naruto suddenly felt the intensity of their stare and for the first time understood what lay behind those eyes. Each pair of eyes, though made of simple rock and stone, had a burning will to protect. He held Hinata closer.

_Mamoru…_

Again, the Kyubi demon inside felt the intense feelings from its human host infuse into its being.

Naruto sensed the thoughts behind the faces that watched vigilantly over their homeland. They stared off into the distance. The young yellow-haired ninja's thoughts followed their stare and began to understand that protecting what he held dear would take more than just guts, skill, and brawn. Though the most powerful ninja village, Konoha was still nestled in a complex world full of other ninja clans and powerful groups. Brute strength alone, ninja prowess, and fuzzy feelings of belonging would not be enough to protect Konoha. A Hokage needed to understand politics and power, strategy and tactics. He saw the late night light coming from the Hokage office window where Tsunade was obviously hard at work managing international relations and responding to the threats of the Akatsuki among others. Yes, it would take more than just guts and muscle.

"Are you hungry?"

He looked down at his smiling Hinata and nodded quietly with a smile. Her precious existence spread across the whole world for Naruto as he now understood what it would take to protect her and everyone he cared for here in Konoha from the smallest child to a time-worn elder.

He understood now how far reaching his responsibilities would be.

These were the thoughts of a Hokage.

The Kyubi grew with him. It felt the overwhelming weight responsibility and desire to protect. It was a sense of purpose that was again a new experience, so different from the destructive whims and thoughtless, selfish violence that had thus far permeated the demon's existence. Kyubi embraced it and came to a new understanding of what it meant to love someone.

* * *

"I'm sorry this happened."

Gaara sat at his usual perch at the ledge of the large balcony. Protectively tucked and bundled away in his arms was his Maya. They sat together staring out at another beautiful starry night in Sunagakure. He rested his tired cheek against the back of her head, felt the silkiness of her raven black hair, and drew her in closer to him

Maya heard his apology and knew that Gaara intended for it to be a general apology for everything that had happened, including their relationship.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not sorry."

Gaara turned over the events of the day in his mind. The news of Maya leaving the Academy because of him had made him more angry than expected. He himself had become dulled and accustomed to being rejected by the villagers, but their directing their hate and fear towards Maya was opening a fresh new wound for him.

"But the children need you," Gaara insisted, thinking especially of one small Taro.

"There are plenty of good teachers there," Maya replied.

"Yes, but I'm sure the children didn't want you to leave," Gaara pressed.

"With time, people will understand. It just takes time sometimes. It's just not an easy thing, forgiveness I mean. Both ways. All we can do is what we can do. But even if it never works out, I'll be here with you."

_I'll be here with you. No matter what. I promise._

Maya's statement of devotion played over and over again in his mind.

"Thank you," Gaara said in a meaningful acceptance of an uncommon devotion.

Maya smiled, but her smile was tinged with sadness. She had been truly afraid of Gaara, just as she had before, but she vowed to stand by her promise because she saw in him, felt in him a kindness and good heart that she believed in. Gaara was not a sulky, self-pitying baby that needed coddling. He was a young man who had grown up facing extraordinary challenges and had coped with it all the best way he could, resolved to do it alone since abandonment was all he ever knew in his relationships with others. With her insightfulness, Maya saw all this and accepted the challenge, whatever may come of it. Any bystander would know that she was literally putting her life on the line in this situation. This was no silly teenage love drama.

Maya hoped reconciliation between the Kazekage and his people could be achieved someday. And, somehow, in the arms of this demon, she felt she was where she belonged.

* * *

Chingis sat on the ledge of the high wall the surrounded Konohagakure protectively. A ways away from him was Lluvia. Like Naruto, they sat dutifully at their night patrol assignment. Chingis looked over at Lluvia who was quick to notice his glance and returned it with a bright, moonlight smile. Under his mask, he couldn't help but smile in response. He had never smiled so much in his life. He had never known what it was like not to be lonely, and he cherished the companionship he felt now. It was enough just to know she existed and that she was there with him.

The two of them suddenly were on alert as they felt the presence of someone powerful.

"At ease."

They both turned to find the current Hokage perched on a rock ledge near them. With a light rustling of her robes, she jumped over to the wall they stood watch on and landed between them. The two jinchuriki watched with curiosity as Tsunade looked pensively out at the view of the world outside of the village.

"Any unusual activity tonight?"

"None, Hokage-sama," Lluvia responded respectifully.

Tsunade's eyes scanned the horizon as if expecting something menacing and hug to jump over it at any second. It had been a quiet few months since the Chuunin exams…too quiet for her liking. Something was afoot, and she didn't like not knowing what it was. She sighed.

"You recall the mission I gave you to protect Hyuuga Hinata."

The two jinchuriki nodded their heads solemnly.

"I'm sure you're aware that the two of you are targets of the Akatsuki as well."

Again, they nodded in response.

"The two of you are capable of easily surviving an Akatsuki attack. As I have all ready told you, Naruto is capable as well. The demons you all hold inside you make this fact a surety."

The Hokage placed her hands on the railing of the wall and leaned forward as if to take some weight off of her tired shoulders.

"Thus I believe the Akatsuki are currently working on a way to capture you through circuitous methods as opposed to a head-on assault. Naruto and his friends are all ready well aware of this. I'm sure they've noticed my change in deployment tactics as they've increasingly received home-base assignments as opposed to missions abroad. I wanted you two to be aware as well that something is happening."

Lluvia and Chinggis followed Tsunade's gaze over the horizon and now felt more acutely the menace the Hokage saw there.

"Brace yourself. A storm is coming."

At their new leader's words, Chingis and Lluvia narrowed their eyes with new determination and purpose.

* * *

Gaara was all ready at his seat and starting out the day's business. He looked up at what appeared to be empty space in front of him.

"Welcome back."

Gesshoku and his team became visible. They were impressed by their Kazekage's ability to sense their presence. It was no small feat. They had slipped into the village quietly in the night and, as the first rays of daylight reached over the sand dunes, they were reporting to the Kazekage as their first order of business upon return to the Sunagakure.

They bowed reverently.

"Kazekage-sama."

Gesshoku stepped forward.

"Kazekage-sama. The Akatsuki activity has been low throughout the land. We have traveled far and wide, but have found little news of their activities."

"What is your analysis?"

Gesshoku's raised his head proudly at the request. His posture expanded with the self-pride that he never really tried to hide.

"Our reconnaissance techniques have been very thorough. We've listened to conversations behind closed doors on many fronts across the world and the consensus is the same. It appears the Akatsuki have ceased their widespread activities for the time being. Considering their previous activity, there is little reason to believe that they have disbanded or given up their ambitions. Most likely, they are in the last stages of some plan for which they have made most of their preparations. The last few steps of are either extremely well hidden or time dependent."

Gaara nodded in approval. Gesshoku's chest swelled with more pride. Upholding the reputation of the Sato family ninja reputation was of utmost importance to him. Part of that was to become Kazekage someday and to avenge the death of his parents. For the time being, he would dance to the village demon's tune as he climbed the ladder of power.

"Good work. You are dismissed until your next mission."

Gesshoku and his team bowed. Their mission over, they turned and walked out the front door openly.

"Aniki (Elder brother)!"

Gesshoku heard the sweet voice of his younger sister. Gaara's eyes raised at the same voice. He saw through partly opened door the faces of the two siblings smiling at each other and then the door closed on him, blocking out the bright sunlight coming from outside.

"Maya, tadaiima (I'm home)," Gesshoku said.

"Okaerinasai, Aniki," Maya replied.

Assuming she had come to meet him, he didn't question her presence at the front steps of the Kazekage's hall at that moment.

"Breakfast is ready at home. You should go rest up. You've been away so long," Maya said kindly to the elder brother who had watched over her since their parents' death. She glanced at the door to the Kazekage's front hall and realized that telling his brother about her new relationship would not be a smooth affair.

"What's wrong?" Gesshoku asked immediately, sensing her change in mood.

Maya thought that right here in public in front of his teammates was probably not the best place to break the news to him.

"I'll tell you about after you've had a good meal and rested up," she said with a sincere smile.

"Where are you going?" Gesshoku asked as he realized she wasn't going home with him.

"I'm going to see the Kazekage," Maya said simply.

The thought of his baby sister being in the same room as the demon that killed their parents turned his stomach upside down. It always did, but it's not like this would be the first time. Maya was of course a full-fledged Sunagakure ninja who's high commander was the Kazekage-sama. Gesshoku decided to leave it at that and gave her a nod as she left with his teammates for some rest after their long mission.

Maaya watched as they left and, when they were a good distance away, she heaved a sigh at the sight of her brother's back. This was definitely not going to be easy.

She opened the door to the large hall and was surprised to find Gaara's chair empty.

"Gaara?" she said tentatively as if expecting him to come out from behind the chair. He was no where to be found. Sensing something was wrong, Maya picked up her pace and she made her way to a door at the back of the hall that she knew lead to the Kazekage's private quarters. As she moved closer and closer to Gaara's room, she sensed something, something bad.

The feeling intensified when she reached the door to his room. There was a heavy chakra emanating from behind the door, and Maya noticed with alarm that grains of sand nearby were actually floating and swirling inches above the ground. She heard voices coming from the other side of the door. She took a deep breath and found her composure.

Her hand reached out slowly and turned the knob slowly and gently. The door opened to a dark room. At first, she saw only more of the floating, swirling sand. The light from outside the door slowly poured into the darkened room as she opened it wider and wider.

Maya gasped.

Gaara sat on his bed which was lined up against a wall. He was facing the wall with his back to her, and she could make out that he was hugging his knees in front of him and rocking back and forth.

But that wasn't what had made her gasp.

Between them was a large, substantial cloud of sand in the shape of a large tanuki's (raccoon-dog) head. It turned at her opening of the door and stared her down abyss-like, black starred pupils.

It was the Ichibi no Shukaku (One-tailed Sand Demon). Its mouth opened.

"Maya…desu-ka?" it said as it smiled menacingly.

At the sound of the demon's voice, Maya snapped out of her shock and her eyes went from wide surprise to narrowed determination. This was the one that had killed her parents. This was the creature that terrorized the villagers. This was the demon that plagued Gaara.

She resolved to step up to the challenge.

"I would like to speak to Gaara please," Maya began, realizing this was currently the only way she could reach him.

"I am him, and he is me. You are speaking to Gaara," Shukaku smiled at sheer delight in the little mind game he was playing.

Maya chose her next words. She needed to know more.

"What happened? Why is Gaara upset?" She directed the question both at Gaara and the Ichibi. At this point, the Shukaku's first point was true. It was not easy to distinguish demon from man.

"Mmhmhmhm," Shukaku chuckled, "We're upset because you betrayed us."

Maya thought about the demon's words for a moment, and realized Gaara may have become upset at her interaction with her own brother. She wasn't quite sure, but she decided to explore.

"How have I betrayed Gaara?"

"You are close to someone else. You betrayed us," the Shukaku said, its eyes rolled sickeningly has it enjoyed its little game with its prey.

"Gaara, Sato Gesshoku is my brother."

She looked beyond the cloud of sand that formed the Ichibi's head to the form of Gaara that huddled on the bed. The Ichibi's head tilted side to side sickeningly like a mechanical clown at a circus.

"Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter."

The Ichibi laughed in amusement. In that moment, any fear that was left in Maya was suddenly replaced with a defiant anger. She realized the Ichibi was probably relaying some of Gaara's own thoughts but was enjoying the suffering of his jinchuriki with a twisted, sadistic humor. It must have been hard for Gaara, Maya realized, to see her closely connected to someone else after having her all to himself these first few weeks of their relationship, even if that someone else was her sibling. It was a sore spot for someone who had only grown up knowing abandonment, only having people dear to him run away from him when he needed them the most.

Maya looked again through the menacing cloud of sand at Gaara.

"It does matter, doesn't Gaara?" she said in a firm but kind voice.

Then she focused her eyes on the Ichibi that watched for her next move with curiosity.

"It's very cruel to laugh at someone's suffering, Ichibi no Shukaku, especially when you're the main cause of it. It's incredibly selfish of you."

Maya's tone was much like the one she used to scold children when they stepped way out of line.

"Oh? Is it cruel?" the Ichibi toyed, "Then would it be cruel I made you suffer and then laughed at you, too? Let's try it."

The sand around the room swirled into angry spikes that directed their sharp points at Maya. They floated in their positions and spin a taunting way, threatening death as if were just childsplay.

In response, Maya's hands slowly pulled out two handfuls of kunai that she deftly held between her fingers. She bend her knees slightly and sunk into a ready stance in preparation for the fast maneuvering in an intense battle.

"I'm here to protect Gaara, Ichibi, which includes protecting you, too."

Ichibi rolled its head from side to side again with sadistic playfulness.

"Looks like you're only protecting yourself. Look who's the selfish one? Look who's the selfish one?"

"I promised you…" Maya spoke to both demon and Kazekage, "I'll be here with you. No matter what."

Maya readied her blades for the onslaught, her eyes showing no signs of straying from her resolve to face the overwhelming force that was poised to destroy her.

The response of this young woman confused Shukaku, for it was a creature that was accustomed to humans running in fear and terror from it. But on occasion there were people stood against it no matter how futile it was to fight against the power of a demon.

Inside, the demon felt Gaara's heart beat shook the depths of the creature's soul.

Though his back was turned on the scene of Maya facing the Ichibi, Gaara saw through its twisted, black-crossed eyes of the demon looking upon his beloved. He had seen this sight before. It had always drove him crazy. When Haruno Sakura faced him as he bore down on the helpless Uchiha boy…when Naruto fought tireless to protect his endangered teammate…when the jounin of Konoha stepped between him and his murder of Rock Lee…it had always driven him mad to see this sight because it was always someone else being protected and not him. It always reminded him of the memory of his uncle protecting other children from him, the same uncle who tried to kill him.

Now he saw the same look on Maya's face, a fierce will to protect burning in her eyes, but this time it was for Gaara. This time, this look of determination was for him, and the realization of this hit him at the core.

The Shukaka reeled in irritation both at Maya's defiance and at his hosts' sudden turn of feelings. The spinning spikes shot at Maya without warning.

Maya could see that there was no way to avoid the spikes that came shooting at her. There were too many of them, they were too fast, and she was surrounded on all sides. She braced herself for the impact and, in a last effort to protect herself the best she could, her hands flew through the air trying desperately to deflect as many of the oncoming spikes as possible. As her kunai cut through the first few spikes, all of them suddenly disintegrated, and the sand hit harmlessly against her body as if someone had tossed buckets of it at her from all sides.

Maya had held her breath upon impact, and as the now-loose grains of sand slid off her body and fell to the ground in a heap, she breathed audibly both in relief and in mental exhaustion.

She looked up at Gaara who was still sitting on the bed with his back towards her, but he wasn't rocking back and forth like before. Instead, he had his head bowed forward.

"Gaara…"

Maya let her kunai drop harmlessly into the piles of sand at her feet, and she walked forward. She climbed onto the bed and slid her arms around Gaara from behind. Though he sat still without a sound, she felt warm tears dripping onto her hands as she held him.

"Daijobu (it's okay)," she said reassuringly as she held him, then she placed her forehead gently against the back of his head.

"Aishiteru (I love you)," she whispered to him.

It was all Gaara could do to keep his composure at the moment. He couldn't comprehend her words at all.

* * *

Gesshoku sat down at the local tavern with his teammates. He had decided to take his first meal outside in the company of friends. When he first walked into the place, he was prepared for a relaxing meal and amusing banter with his friends. Instead, he sat now with a wary eye at his surroundings. He noticed that the noise level had lowered significantly when he entered the room, and he was no stranger to the place so it made little sense to him that his presence would cause such a dampening effect on the ambiance. Some people were throwing him furtive looks, while others openly stared at him. Something was amiss, and he hadn't needed his keen ninja sense to notice it. His teammates felt it, too, and they gave him concerned looks as well.

An old acquaintance broke the ice.

"Hey, what are you feeling like today Gesshoku?" the old tavern owner asked in his usual welcoming and jolly voice.

"I'll go for the usual," Gesshoku smiled, glad to see a friendly face. Then he put a hand on the owner's arm, signaling to him to bend down closer.

"What's going on here?" Gesshoku asked with genuine puzzlement.

"Well, you see Gesshoku…"

Bystanders in the tavern couldn't help themselves. They watched intently as the look on Gesshoku's face changed from puzzled curiosity to one of controlled anger. As the news of his sister and the Kazekage formed as a thought in his mind, Gesshoku felt his blood must be boiling under his skin. He fought to maintain his composure and keep his face from turning scarlet red.

He was silent for the remainder of the evening. His teammates made no fuss about this. Gesshoku ate his dinner and excused himself soon after. He made his way home alone as the mid-afternoon sun hung oppressively in the sky. Gesshoku felt none of the heat pounding down on the Sunagakura. He felt hotter than the sun at that moment, and he couldn't get the image of her sister at the front of the Kazekage's main hall out of his mind.

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you can feel the momentum building up in this chapter. Some serious stuff is about to happen. Please look forward to it and thank you so much for reading!_


	31. Chapter 31

_Author's Note: Thank you everyone again for your patience and your continued reading. This fanfiction has really helped me improve and hone my writing, and I couldn't have gotten this far without the great support of readers like you. I hope at least some of this chapter was worth the wait. _

* * *

All The Difference 31 

Maya took a breath before she opened the door to her own home. She knew she had to tell her brother about her relationship with Gaara, and she knew he wasn't going to be happy about it. Actually, she knew he was going to be livid.

The humble, brown and wooden door opened, and she saw her brother sitting silently at the small dining room table that the two of them had shared since childhood. It had been just the two of them for as long as she could remember. She was too young when their parents died to remember what it was like to have a family meal, but she knew Gesshoku remembered it well, and his lust for revenge on the person who took all of that away from him was undying.

He sat there with the single light above the table on. The rest of the small home was dark. He didn't appear to be eating anything or engaged in any sort of activity that Maya could see from where she was; he was just sitting there. His lack of acknowledgement of her arrival was enough to tell her that he already knew.

"Oniichan (elder brother), let me explain…" she began.

"There's nothing to explain."

His voice contained an anger that he was trying to control. He didn't turn around to look at her as he continued to speak.

"You are to discontinue this…relationship…immediately."

Maya's brow furrowed immediately in upset.

"That's not fair!" she said without any attempt to keep her voice down. She didn't like how she sounded like the defiant little sister by saying that, but she felt it really wasn't fair that he wasn't even going to hear her out.

Gesshoku finally turned in his seat to look at her with furious eyes. She was taken aback by the amount of anger she saw on his face but made an effort not to show any of this surprise. She met his intense look with her own.

"Not fair? You know what's not fair? BETARYING YOUR FAMILY IS NOT FAIR!" he roared.

"I AM NOT BETRAYING MY FAMILY!" Maya yelled back, though she couldn't help but feel a twinge of uncertainty in the back of her mind. Was she betraying her family by being with the man responsible for the death of her parents? Internally she tried to shake this doubt away. She recalled the images of Gaara protecting the children, his interactions with Taro, the kindness and sadness she had seen so many times now in his eyes. _No_, she thought to herself, _there's nothing wrong with my feelings for him_.

"YES YOU ARE!" Gesshoku accused relentlessly.

Maya breathed in deeply to calm down.

"Oniichan, I know you won't believe me when I tell you why, but I need you to trust me on this," she said with as much calm and sincerity as she could muster.

Gesshoku felt his anger subsiding a bit with his baby sister's sincere plea. He cared about her more than anything in the world; it was hard not to let his guard down with her. When their parents died, taking care of her was one of the things that had kept him going. But he would not relent on this topic. It was too important to him.

"Maya, you are not to continue this relationship with that demon. Period."

Maya looked into the decided eyes of her beloved older brother, then around at the small home they had shared for so many years. She remembered all the times he had protected her, cared for her, taught her the ways of the Sand ninja, and recalled memories of their parents for her so that she could share in them, too. It pained her to do what she was going to do next, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

"Oniichan, I understand why you can't accept what I'm doing, so I hope one day you can understand why I can't accept what you're doing."

With that, Maya turned and walked back out the door and left home.

"Maya! What are you doing? Maya!" Gesshoku called out to her.

She fought the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Maya! Come back here! DON'T DO THIS!" Gesshoku could feel the anger he had lived with for so long boiling inside him hotter than ever before.

"MAYA! COME BACK HERE!" he screamed. The demon was not going to take away his last living family.

He bolted after Maya, knocking over the chair he was in and leaving the door of their small home swinging wide open. But Maya was already off flying over the rooftops away from him. He pursued with intensity, the hot early evening winds of the Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind) striking at his face. The image before him of Maya running away from him framed by the red sky of a setting sun reminded him of their childhood when they would play tag on these very rooftops. Even though she was over half a decade younger than him, she was always difficult to catch; strong, fast and nimble, she glided smoothly from roof to roof as if finding her footing on such uneven terrain was as natural as breathing. ­ The memory of their childhood caused feelings of nostalgia to well up inside Gesshoku, but instead of softening his mood, it fueled his anger and determination. He would not lose his Maya to the village demon. He would break whatever trance the demon had put on her.

Maya burst open through the front door of the Kazekage's main hall. The room was dark and the stone that it was made of was cold as usual, but at the center, on his small throne-like seat upon the low dais, Gaara sat expectantly looking directly at her. He had felt her approach. Around him were three teams of Sand nin apparently in the process of receiving their next mission. The hall was lit by a few torches and the remainder of the day's autumn colored lights.

"MAYA!" Gesshoku burst in after her and made a grab for her arm but he was too slow. She slipped out of his reach yet again and ran to Gaara. She flung her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She had come at him with tears escaping from the corners of her gentle brown eyes and had given him a pleading look that broke his heart. Despite his internal aching, he kept a stolid face in front of his subordinates and acted as if there were no girl holding him at that moment. He also felt the impulse to attack her pursuer but stayed his sand.

Gesshoku, finding himself in the presence of his Sand nin peers as well as feeling shocked at the sight of his baby sister with her arms around the Kazekage village demon, stopped in his tracks.

The other Sand nin could not help but hold their breaths. Gesshoku was a high level special Jounin; Gaara was the Kazekage. Both were their superiors, and this personal matter had now erupted in the professional arena. Moreover, the Ichibi was there in Gaara, ready to explode out onto the Sunagakure (Sand Village) on the whim of a bad mood. They could only wait on high alert for the outcome.

"Maya, stop this nonsense and let's go home," Gesshoku commanded through gritted teeth as he tried to contain his emotions in this public place.

Maya made no apparent response and remained quiet, but Gaara felt her press her face against his chest slightly harder and her arms tightened a bit more around him. In a move that shocked all of his subordinates, his right hand raised from his side and pressed gently and reassuringly on Maya's back. It wasn't anywhere near a full return of an embrace, but it was as much affection as anyone had ever seen Gaara express to another in his whole lifetime at the Sunagakure, and it stunned them all to the core.

And for Gesshoku, it infuriated him to a breaking point. Kazekage or not, One­-tailed-demon or not, he was taking his baby sister back.

Gesshoku stomped up towards the young couple with a look of furious intent on his face. He met the Kazekage's emotionless stare with his livid eyes and reached out his hand to grab Maya and pull her away. As his foot landed on the dais, the light layer of sand on the floor of the hall suddenly picked up in a whirling motion and surrounded the couple in a marble­-like ball of swirling wind and sand. Gesshoku was thrown back by the sudden barrier. He looked back at the village demon through the marble of sand and wind, and the demon stared calmly and almost emotionlessly back at him. Gesshoku could feel the animosity that lay behind those dangerously still eyes. Gesshoku looked again at the demon's hand that lay so possessively and protectively on his sister's back, then back at the demon's face. He knew he had no chance in a face to face confrontation with the Shukaku. But he would have his sister back, one way or another. This he swore silently to himself as he looked Gaara squarely in the eyes.

"This is not over."

With that, Gesshoku turned and walked out of the hall slamming the large, heavy doors behind him.

At his exit, the swirling ball of sand and wind dispersed and the floor was again evenly covered in a light layer of sand.

The Sand nin who had be receiving their new missions stood unsure of how to react and what to do.

"You have your mission assignments. The details are in the scrolls. Dismissed," Gaara's voice broke the silence.

The ninjas breathed in relief at being excused from that intense and awkward situation.

"Kazekage-sama," they said reverently, bowed, and then took their leave.

When the room was empty and quiet again, Gaara looked down at Maya whose face was still buried in his Kazekage robes.

With his right hand still on her back, Gaara lifted his left hand to her head and tenderly stroked her hair. He could feel the act of affection calmed her body as she relaxed against him.

"Maya," his voice was gentle, deep, and strong, "what happened?"

Maya lifted her face from his robes to reveal eyes red from tears. She brushed away the moisture from her cheeks with the back of her hand, and in what felt surprisingly natural to Gaara, he brought his right hand up to her face and brushed away some of her newly falling tears.

"Gesshoku wasn't happy about us. He told me to stop seeing you, so…so I left home."

Gaara thought about what she said for a moment, then his eyes saddened. It wasn't enough that the villagers had shunned her for being with him. Now, her affiliation with him was turning her own family inside out.

"I'm sorry," he said with sadness in his voice and eyes. He felt like such a burden to what had once been her happy, normal life.

Maya looked up at the despondent look on his face and quickly mustered a smile.

"Don't be sorry, this isn't your fault. I chose this, so don't feel responsible."

These words and her sad smile didn't ease much of Gaara's feelings about being such a social leper. Nevertheless, he was glad she was there with him. He pressed his forehead against hers the way she had done to him before and closed his eyes.

"Arigato (Thank you)," he said simply.

Maya smiled and kissed him on the lips. That always caught him off guard, and Gaara was soon looking very awkward and very embarrassed but at the same time, obviously happy in a hesitant sort of way.

"Don't thank me. Remember, aishiteru (I love you)."

Gaara had no idea how to respond to that except with more awkwardness and hesitant smiles. Maya let out a small laugh and kissed him again to put him out of his self-conscious misery. She wanted to hear him make the same promise to her, to say that he loved her, but she knew that for someone who was never loved before, something like that didn't come easily.

* * *

Gesshoku didn't just slam the door to his home, he smashed it against its frame with such force that it broke to splinters. That didn't satisfy him. He felt like his brain would explode if he didn't smash it against something. The next thing that caught his sight was the kitchen table. His fist soon exploded onto the table surface that his family had eaten at for so many years. It broke in at least four pieces that slumped to the ground. He picked up a chair and was about to smash that against a wall when he suddenly realized he wasn't alone in the house.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught something glowing in the darkness. He turned to look at it, the chair he was about to obliterate now held as an offensive weapon towards the intruder. Sitting in their modest living room was a large, dark, cloaked figure. But Gesshoku knew immediately who it was for the glow that he had noticed earlier came from the figure's eyes. He had done enough reconnaissance to recognize those eyes in an instant. They were two blood red irises with menacing, swirling black—the infamous eyes of the Sharingan bloodline limit.

"Sato Gesshoku. I have a proposition for you."

Uchiha Itachi's voice was as heartless and cold as it had been the day he told his baby brother that he had slain their entire clan.

* * *

The morning light crept over Maya's face pleasantly as she slumbered away. She wore one of Gaara's old white t-shirts and sweat pants, both oversized on her so that she seemed to swim in them. A blanket was pulled up over her, and her steady breaths caused the sheets to rise and fall pleasantly.

Gaara sat on the floor next to the bed staring at her. He was wearing the same old white t-shirt and sweat pants combination. She had insisted the night before that he sleep on the bed as well, but he had insisted that he not. She had pressed that he would be more comfortable lying on the bed, and he had pushed that he didn't sleep much anyways. And no matter what she said, he simply replied, "No." Gaara was too afraid to lay down next to her for a whole host of reasons.

But even though he had spent his night sitting on the floor by the bed, he had never had a more restful night. He had fallen in and out of sleep, sometimes with his head against the wall and sometimes with it on the bed. It was the usual restless rest that had plagued him since birth, a curse of the Shukaku's nightmares. But this night, he awoke from darkness to see Maya's unbroken sleep and found tranquility in hearing her steady breath and watching the smooth movements of her serene expression. It was almost as if he could rest through her, and it was nice to not be alone during one of his wakeful nights for once. He wished he could have her here like this always.

Maya yawned and her eyes blinked open in the growing morning light. When they finally focused on Gaara who was peacefully looking at her from his shadowed spot beside the bed, she smiled.

"Ohayou," she said in a slightly raspy morning voice that caused some warmth to flush to Gaara's face. Her tousled dark hair, her warm smile, the sunlight, and the white sheets and clothes glowing in sunlight made her look like an angel on earth to him. It was the most beautiful sight in the world to him.

"Ohayou," he replied in as even a voice as he could manage.

As if she could feel the trembling soul he had tucked away deep inside of him, she reached out a hand to him and pulled their two faces closer to each other. She kissed him first and then reached an arm around his head to hug him. He rested his cheek against her silken locks as she held him, calmed by her affectionate kiss and solid embrace. Sometimes he wondered if she was just a hallucination, a trick his starved heart had played on him and that she would vanish at any moment. But when she held him like this, all such doubts vanished.

Suddenly, Maya scooted away from him on the bed, reached her hand out and grabbed a handful of his white shirt fabric and pulled him onto the bed with her. He was surprised by the strength of her one arm, able to pull forward his entire body, but of course, she was a ninja. He didn't assist in her action, but he didn't resist either, and he found himself lying on his right side on his bed facing her as she lay on her left facing him. Then she scooted back close to him, until their knees touched lightly, and put a hand on his left cheek. And she just smiled and looked at him as she touched his face. Gaara couldn't help but smile in response to the look of adoration in her eyes.

Every minute with her was a dream come true.

Everything about her was heaven to him.

More than anything, he wanted to be near her for the rest of his life.

All this he thought as he basked in the warm rays of her affection.

He wanted to say something to her, but nothing came out.

* * *

After a light breakfast together, Maya offered to help Gaara with his work. The Kazekage knew he probably should be assigning this highly skilled chuunin to an away mission, but the idea of having her around him all day everyday was so enticing, he had no second thoughts of abusing his authority and assigning her to work at the main office.

Maya gave him a wry smile when he handed her the official documentation for her assignment to his office with an official look on his face, but she didn't contest his decision. Though on paper it looked like a demotion to an office job, Maya thought to herself, she felt that she was being assigned to a position that should belong to a special jounin—day in and day out of working side by side with the Shukaku jinchuriki. It was more life threatening than over 90 of the missions Sand nin were sent on. But then she knew herself to be the best Sand nin for the job and prided herself in it.

The day wore on with plenty of business as usual. Maya found herself learning more in one day about the Sunagakure and the world beyond than she did in her years as an active Sand ninja out on missions. She took interest in the decisions Gaara was making, asking him questions and challenging some of his logic. Gaara simply enjoyed the sound of her voice, but found it very pleasant to have someone to talk to about his dealings as the Kazekage.

This was better than just seeing her a few hours every evening. He couldn't imagine ever getting tired of having her around all the time. It felt like having Maya there with him was simply having things fall into their natural state, like she was always meant to be there with him and that all in his life had been incomplete before her arrival.

"Well, what should we have for dinner?" Maya asked cheerfully at the end of the day.

Gaara looked up from his paperwork surprised, not realizing that time had passed by so quickly. The sun was again making its descent and filling the room with the reds and oranges of its setting rays.

Before he had a chance to answer, the large doors to his hall swung open. In walked Sato Gesshoku. He looked surprisingly calm and composed compared to his highly agitated state the evening before.

"Oniichan," Maya said hopefully.

"Kazekage-sama," Gesshoku said with his usual reverence, "I apologize for my behavior yesterday evening. It was unbefitting of an honorable ninja of Sunagakure."

Maya looked over and met eyes with Gaara. He hadn't known how to respond to Gesshoku's sudden entreat for a pardon, but the look of hope on her face decided for him how to react.

"No harm done," Gaara said simply.

"Arigatougozaimasu (thank you very much), Kazekage-sama," Gesshoku said with deference.

Gesshoku looked over at Maya with calm eyes, and Maya took this as a good sign. Her brother looked back at the village demon.

"Kazekage-sama, may I ask permission to speak to my sister in private?"

Every ounce of Gaara wanted to say no; he did not want to let her go, especially after an entire day spent with her by his side. His fierce impulse was to have her with him at all times, but he looked to Maya again and saw her nod slightly. Reluctantly taking the signal, he granted Gesshoku's wishes with a clear nod of the head.

Gesshoku responded again with a formal statement of gratitude.

Maya put a hand on Gaara's arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," she said.

Gaara nodded dumbly. He wanted to grab onto her hand and tell her not to go.

Maya gave him one last smile and took off with her brother. Gaara sat in his hall alone as he felt Maya's presence travel further and further away from him. All he could do was sit there and count the seconds until her return.

* * *

Maya arrived with her brother at their home. He had said nothing to her during their long walk down the busy Sunagakure roads, but she didn't find this unusual because her brother had always been a private man. She had followed him in silence hoping that when they got home, a good talk could sort much of this whole mess out. Maybe, she thought, all he had needed was a day to clear his head and calm down, and now he was ready to have a civilized discussion about the whole matter.

The first thing she noticed was the destroyed state in which the front door was in. Then as she peered inside, she saw the broken dining room table. And though a few chairs were strewn out of place, she was glad to see that nothing else of their family's humble home had been destroyed.

"Oniichan, let me explain," Maya began. She would start with what happened with the children at school, with Taro, showing her brother how she had learned about Gaara bit by bit and finally developed feelings for him. She thought this would be the best way to help him understand how she ended up where she was today. But she was cut short before she could even really start.

"There is nothing to explain," Gesshoku said plainly.

Maya gave her brother a puzzled look. Why had he asked her to come back here if he wasn't going to listen to anything she was going to say? And why that polite apology to Gaara then?

"What? Oniichan, I don't understand."

Gesshoku faced her with a serious expression and put his hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. Her first instinct was the fight off his hold, break free, and run, but the look in his eyes held her in place. He looked resolved about something but concerned for her at the same time.

"Maya, I'm doing this for the good of the village and for the honor of our family," Gesshoku said as he looked intensely into his baby sister's face.

"Doing what?" Maya asked still confused. As the last sound of her question left her mouth, a hand reached out from behind her and held a wet cloth on her mouth.

Maya struggled, her first act was to grab onto her brother's arms in confusion, but this was all she could do before she felt herself drift into the dark oblivion of unconsciousness. The last thing she saw was her brother's intent face before everything faded to black.

* * *

"She'll come back, she promised," Gaara said out loud to himself.

He sat alone in his room, the entire main office having retired for the night already.

_She's not coming back and you know it._

The voice of the Shukaku demon taunted him from within.

"She promised me, Maya promised me," Gaara said as if evoking her name would make his statement more solid.

It had been a few hours since Maya had left with her brother. The wait was maddening for Gaara.

_She's got her brother, she doesn't need you._

Gaara never thought Maya really need him in any way, but he knew one thing for sure.

"She promised me," he said out loud.

_But she doesn't need you. She's going to take care of her brother, not you._

"But she promised."

The conversation swung back and forth, relentlessly and maddeningly circuitous in its logic.

_She just promised you because she's scared of you_. _Now she's gotten away and she'll never come back. She'll never come back._

"No, she loves me, she said so," Gaara said, his voice that of a young man's but with a definite tinge of childish defiance.

_Just a lie. Just a lie. Now she's gone and run away. She's run away._

"She loves me, she said so."

_She doesn't need you, she has her brother._

Gaara was at a breaking point.

"No," he said and suddenly pulled himself heavily to his feet.

The Shukaku was a bit confused by his change in position. His taunting usually kept Gaara sitting and rocking in place until pure exhaustion took over and his host would fall into a restless sleep. This was the first time Gaara stood up in the middle of one of these mentally torturous sessions.

"No," Gaara said again with growing strength in his voice.

_No what? There's nothing to say no to. She's run away. She doesn't need you. She doesn't love you._

"No," Gaara repeated, and then added, "I...need her…"

He took a step towards his door. He decided there would be no more waiting. He would see her now.

"I need her…I…love her…"

All around the immense Sunagakure, small piles of sand rose quietly into the night air. Any onlooker who happened to notice it quickly ran for their lives, knowing full well that it was the doing of the Shukaku jinchuriki. They've been terrorized by him before.

Each small mass of sand first formed a small sphere, then that small sphere of sand took on the clear characteristics of what looked like a free-floating eyeball. The thousands of tiny sand eyes looked this way and that in a rather sickening fashion, rolling in every which way like the decaying eyes of a corpse gone awry. It was the Daisan no Me (Third Eye) technique on a massive scale.

A flood of images came flowing towards Gaara and out of the thousands, one caught his attention—a destroyed front door—and he knew it was Maya's home. But Maya was no where to be seen in the entire village. Something was wrong.

With a quick motion of the hand, he had his giant gourd swung on his back, the stopper in his hand, and the sand mingled with the blood of his victims poured out like a sack of a pythons let loose in a field of mice.

The sand formed a solid footing for him, and he was off flying towards Maya's home. Within seconds he was already landing on the ground and stepping through the demolished front door. He scanned the place, noting the broken dining table but seeing nothing else unusual or out of place. He was about to turn and continue his search elsewhere when something on the heap of broken dining table wood caught his eye. A wisp of sand quickly brought the paper to his hand, and he found it was a folded note that was addressed to him.

His eyes narrowed as he opened the paper to read what was inside. Calmly he took in the contents of the letter. As he finished its contents, the stones that made the walls of the Sato family's humble home began to burst one by one. These stones were solid rock but they exploded into sand as if they were merely sand filled balloons finally popping under the pressure of Gaara's will. Soon, nothing was left of the place save the furniture and piles of sand that used to be the stone walls of the home. Those piles rose and swirled around him, carrying him up until he flew over the walls that protected the Sunagakure.

He folded the letter and placed it safely within a pocket in his robes as he traveled out to the dunes atop a cloud of sand. This sand from Maya's demolished home filled his gourd to the brim in preparation for a long journey ahead. There, in the privacy of the vast rolling dunes where Maya had kissed him for the first time, he pulled out the letter again and looked at it. Then he stared up at the full moon that shone in the dark night sky, casting menacing shadows on everything. His hand that was holding the letter dropped to his side and the letter fell as his grip on it loosened. The sand quickly engulfed the paper, and it disappeared from sight.

Gaara felt as if his soul had imploded, and if he had ever known emptiness before, he knew it a million times worse now.

As he stared up at the blindingly bright moon and cloud of sand formed under his feet again, tears stung his eyes for the first time in many, many years.

* * *

Naruto looked up at the bright moon and took a deep breath. The smell of the fresh night air mingled with the thick aromas of the ramen broth emanating form the Ichiruku Ramen Bar.

"Here you go, Naruto," Teuchi handed Naruto two orders of chasu pork to go. It was their last order of their late night hours, and they didn't mind staying open a little after usual to serve their favorite regular.

"San-kyu," Naruto said with a toothy grin.

With the ramen in hand, he left the warm hub of Ichiraku as it began the process of shutting down for the night.

It was his turn to bring Hinata a late-night-watch meal and snack. She was positioned at the back wall of the village, the opposite end from where the heads of the past and present hokage were carved into the mountainside.

Being the mediocre cook that he was, Naruto had the bag of ramen to go in one hand and a bag of goodies from the local convenience store in the other with items carefully picked to Hinata's taste. Among them was a bottle of iced milk tea, Hinata's favorite desert drink, and a pack of finger sandwiches, her favorite snack. Naruto smiled as he thought of how much she would enjoy the food.

He hadn't gone far from the Ichiraku when his thoughts were interrupted by a small creature that suddenly pranced up along side of him. At first, he thought it was a small stray cat, but when he looked down at it, he realized it was a small fox. There was something strange about the creature and Naruto stopped in his tracks. The creature stopped as well and sat on its haunches right on cue for Naruto to observe it. Naruto blinked in a bit of confusion as he thought maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him in the moonlight. He put the bags of food down and squatted down to look at the creature that stared expectantly up at him.

No, he wasn't mistaken, this little fox was indeed made of sand.

"Gaara?" Naruto asked out loud as he reached out a curious hand to touch the exquisitely sculpted, animated creature of sand. As soon as Naruto's fingertip touched the smooth sandy surface, the tiny fox lost its form and fell in a heap of sand on the ground. Out of the pile of sand stuck out what looked like a piece of trash. Naruto picked it out of the sand, and his eyes grew wide as he recognized it. It was the round paper cover that usually sealed closed his favorite brand of instant cup ramen. Flipping it over, Naruto saw the message that was meant for him.

_Naruto,_

_The Akatsuki are holding Sato Maya, a Chuunin from the Sunagakure, hostage. _

_Their terms are that I show up at their mountain fortress with three other jinchuriki, you, Lluvia, and Chingis. _

_We are not to tell anyone else of this transaction or Maya will be killed._

_I know this is asking a lot, but please help me save her. She is very important to me._

_Gaara_

Naruto's grip on the paper tightened. The gravity of the situation hit heaviest in Gaara's last line.

"She is very important to me," he said the line out loud, looking first at the bags of food and then up in the direction where he knew Hinata was keeping watch on the back wall. He stuffed the ramen wrap paper in the crack of a nearby wall by the Ichiraku, picked up the bags of food, and took off running. He needed to make sure Hinata was safe.

Naruto knew very well that the message he had just received could very well be a trap, but there was something about the message that rang authentically true. He knew that if the hostage had been Hinata under the same terms, he would have written the exact same note.

As he reached the back wall of the village, Naruto was relieved to see Hinata's glimmering blue hair shine in the moonlight. She turned instantly to meet him with happy eyes. He landed atop the wall with the grace and strength of a bobcat, not a drop of ramen broth spilt despite his fast pace and aerials.

He set his packages down quickly and hugged her in relief. He held her longer than usual.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, sensing his urgency.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I just really missed you," Naruto said, covering his troubled thoughts with a bright smile. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded with a smile.

They ate and talked under the twilight with a pleasant summer night soothing their moods. Naruto savored every moment as if it were the last. He tried not to let his mind wander too much and focused on the here and now, on the sound of Hinata's voice, the way her hair danced lightly in the breeze, and her eyes that saw everything but noticed only him.

For the first time ever, he drank the last delicious drop of ramen broth with great reluctance and then watched as Hinata finished her own. They drank the milk tea for dessert and spent a few moments in silence enjoying the view of the forest tops beyond Konoha on one side of the wall and the rooftops of the village on the other. There was no place else in the world Naruto would rather be.

"Hinata…" Naruto began, not sure what he really wanted to say. She turned to him expectantly with eyes wide and was ready to listen.

"There should be enough snacks to last you through the night," he said looking at the bag of convenience store snacks he had brought for her.

Hinata looked over at the bulging package and knew there was probably enough in there to last her three nights of watch. She let out a laugh.

"Thanks," she said as she took his hand and gave it an appreciative squeeze.

Naruto grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her into his embrace. Hinata, a bit surprised at first, soon settled into the comfortable warmth of his hug.

"Hinata, thank you for being here with me. Aishiteru (I love you)," Naruto said.

Hinata was warmed by his words but something nagged at the back of her mind. Something was afoot and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her intuitive nature was heightened. But before she could voice her concern or explore her unease, Naruto had pressed his lips against her and held her in a deep, warm kiss that relaxed her like nothing else could.

When he broke away from her, she found herself looking up into his deep blue eyes. He smiled with that look of tenderness that she knew she could never get used to seeing. It always caused her heart to skip a beat, and she couldn't help but return it with her own dreamy smile.

"Be careful okay? Promise?" Naruto said in earnest.

"Promise," Hinata agreed with an affirmative nod.

With that Naruto took one last good look at her smiling countenance, gave her a peck on the forehead, and then took off over the Konoha rooftops. His next destination was the opposite end of the village, at the front where two jinchuriki stood watch over the front gates.

_

* * *

_

_Akatsuki note: Just another note to say that I'm still not planning to go into much Akatsuki detail. I haven't been able to keep up with the manga, especially in the new arc with them all grown-up, and as for the anime, my friends and I are going to marathon all those episodes I haven't watched when I finally finish this huge project that I've been working on for two years (aside from the fanficiton haha). In the meantime, apologies to the Akatsuki fans out there—this quantum universe won't be expanding on the Akatsuki much nor giving too much about each of its members. Probably the only one that will receive much detailed attention will be Uchiha Itachi and even then I'm still not sure how much. Thanks again for all your great feedback and support!_


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's Note: OMG. Okay I know it's been FOREVER, but I just finished a doctorate degree and started my own reading/writing school (The Literacy Guild) while keeping up freelance writing assignments so…I just want you to know that I wasn't just sitting around not writing the fanfic. I just COULDN'T—I'm barely paying the student loans as it is. And all my own novels are just gathering dust under the rock that is my mind. TT In brighter news, an article I wrote back in May called "One Dream, Two Worlds" just came out in the fancy smancy glossy 13minutes magazine (Vol 2 Issue 3 page 66 at your local borders and barnes and nobles women's magazines section). Also, I got a nice little featured column as OTAKU GIRL on Asianweek dot com where I recently wrote about Chinese Vampires and a legendary Chinese love story (please check it out and leave a comment!). THANK YOU to everyone who emailed me and pm-ed me or added my story or me as a favorite on your fanfiction list. I am SO HAPPY everytime I see or hear from a new reader or an old devoted reader. I'm sorry it took so long. A presentation of my dissertation at a national research conference might keep me busy the rest of this month, but I'm going to try my best to get another chapter out. At the least, December's winter break will be some serious creative writing time for me. THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading, and I hope you enjoy this new installment of this Naruto fanfiction series which WILL BE FINISHED and have a PART 3!_

_BTW, if you haven't played the new NARUTO XBOX 360 game…it RAWKS! I don't even have to play the game--I just like strolling through Konoha! It is SO AMAZING! I'll have an article about it for sure on AsianWeek soon!_

* * *

All The Difference 32 

"I understand."

Unusually, Chingis answered before Lluvia said anything.

"Me, too, we're in," Lluvia said with added purpose.

Naruto had just finished explaining the situation to them. Though they had never even spoken to Sabaku no Gaara nor Sato Maya of the Sunagakure, they took this matter personally. It was, after all, Gaara's status as a jinchuriki that caused the Akatsuki to target someone near and dear to him. The 5th Hokage had made it clear to them that the Akatsuki were taking a special interest in jinchuriki for whatever their purposes were. The two could see in Naruto's eyes that he felt the same way. Their social leprosy was a burden they all shared and understood all to well. To be where they are today, to have friends and even loved ones, to be acknowledged as human beings even, was more than any of them had ever hope for. They knew how intensely they would fight if all of it were to be taken away from them again.

"We're clearly walking straight into the middle of a trap set especially for us jinchuriki. Whatever their plan is," Naruto smiled with a fierce look of determination, "we're going to tear them down. Even if we have to do it from the inside out."

Lluvia and Chingis responded with a sure nod of the head.

"But where is their mountain fortress?" Lluvia asked.

"Well, I've heard bits from the Ero Sennin (Perverted Hermit), but not enough to piece together a path. He probably knows exactly where it is, but unfortunately given our current circumstances, we can't go to him for information. We can't risk Sato Maya's safety," Naruto answered.

"Did your friend Gaara give you any directions?" Chingis inquired further.

"No, but the Akatsuki must have left directions to their secret fortress for him. So we need to meet up with Gaara first, then move from there."

"Any idea how to find your friend?" Lluvia asked.

Naruto gave Lluvia a wry grin as he shifted his gaze from her and Chingis to something behind them.

"He's already found us," Naruto said.

The two Konoha-adopted nin turned and saw behind them the tiny figure of what looked like a small fox sitting in wait for them. It looked like a stone statue, heavy and anchored to where it sat, so it surprised them when it suddenly stood up and jumped lightly onto the ledge of the wall they had been standing watch on. Then it jumped silently off the wall and into the dark shadows of the forest below.

Naruto stood up to follow, and his two jinchuriki companions followed suite. But before he left, he turned around and gave Konoha one last look, focusing especially on the far wall way on the other side of the village where he knew his Hinata stood watch.

_I'm sorry Hinata. I promise I'll come back to you,_ Naruto sent his thoughts towards her.

Then he turned and leapt off the wall with Lluvia and Chingis close behind him as they became missing nin of Konoha and began their journey to the dark lair of the Akatuski.

* * *

Naruto, Lluvia, and Chingis found Gaara waiting patiently at the foot of a hill about a mile out from Konoha. The Kazekage appeared calm and composed, but Naruto noticed immediately something different about his demeanor. Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the energy coming from Gaara was different. Somehow he seemed …defeated. 

"Thank you all for coming," Gaara said formally in greeting as if he were still in his role as a statesman greeting foreign visitors.

"Gaara," Naruto broke the formalities with his usual loud and colloquial voice, "We'll get Maya back. You can count on us."

Chingis and Lluvia backed Naruto's words with a firm nod of their heads.

The only sign that Gaara showed of an emotional response to their determination to help him save Maya was a few blinks of the eyes and a slight lowering of his gaze. To the average onlooker, they may have thought Gaara had no emotional response whatsoever, but to jinchuriki who were used to suppressing their real emotions and dealing with deep wounding pain, this slight change in his countenance was enough to tell them how deeply moved he felt by their support and how upset he was over Maya's hostage situation.

"Thank you," Gaara said with a sincerity only his fellow jinchuriki understood. And then he got down to business and explained to them the details of the path to that Akatsuki hideout.

Soon, the four of them were off running through the forest, scaling mountains with little effort, and dashing through the night.

_Oi, kozou (kid)._

Naruto heard the kyubi demon inside him call for his attention.

"Nani (what)?" he said in a low voice as he flew through the treetops with Gaara, Chingis, and Lluvia flying from branch to branch nearby.

_You know that Ichibi is in Gaara right?_

"Yeah, what about it?"

_Well, Ichibi is the least powerful of the tailed demons._

"And who's the most powerful one?" Naruto asked with a slight sarcasm in his voice and a little roll of the eyes, thinking Kyubi was just bringing it up to aggrandize himself.

_Don't be stupid. I'm trying to tell you something useful_.

"Okay, I'm sorry. What?" Naruto realized he misunderstood.

_You see, Shukaku has always been the weakest among the tailed demons. So he's got this extreme inferiority complex going on._

"Yeah? Go on," Naruto prodded.

_Well, since he feels so inferior, he tries to make up for it by bullying others—especially someone who serves as his container. He'll chip away at the person's ego until they go insane. Its part of a power game that he plays in order to gain control of his host. You're going into what could be an impossible battle. The odds are completely stacked against you. To gain any advantage, you need to know as much as you can about both your enemy and your allies._

"I see…, thanks!" Naruto said with genuine gratitude. He was also a little surprised. This was the first time the demon inside him was pro-actively trying to help him. The kyubi could sense the true appreciation Naruto felt. The demon turned the feeling over in its consciousness, pondering the meaning and how it really felt about someone being so sincerely thankful to him.

Meanwhile, Naruto glanced over at Gaara who was flying from branch to branch, launching from tree trunk to tree trunk, with his usual stolid expression.

The Kazekage always put on confident airs, walking and speaking with such certainty that many would defer to his opinion just because of the sheer aura of sureness in his presence. But, of course, it was a front, an extreme reaction to the severe social and physical challenges of living as an unwanted jinchuriki.

Naruto glanced over at Lluvia and Chingis as well. They had each dealt with it their own way. Lluvia had developed a fierce pride in anything she pursued. Gaara clung to self-love as firm ground. Chingis completely shut down emotionally. Though these aspects could be found in the average person, theirs was an acute manifestation of it to deal with the intense nature of their existence. And Naruto, well, he knew he had fought his battle with boisterous boasting and loud proclamations of self-worth.

As he continued towards the Akatsuki, his mind wandered back to Konoha, back to his childhood there. All the pranks he pulled to get some drop of recognition from people who shunned him and pretended he wasn't there, all the times he yelled "I'm going to be Hokage!" even though he was really "Dead last Uzumaki".

He remembered the day when he had fought Neji at his first Chuunin exams. That morning he had felt especially depressed, thinking he would be beat for sure by the prodigy, Neji.

_You're not perfect…you make mistakes and you get stronger from them. I believe that is true strength. Naruto, I think you're really strong._

Naruto smiled as Hinata's voice played through his mind. She had seen more in him than he had every seen in himself. Her words had been the deciding factor that day in the Chuunin exams. He knew if she hadn't cheered him up and helped him believe in himself, he would have lost that battle with Neji.

This Maya girl must have done the same for Gaara, saw something in him that he couldn't see in himself, Naruto thought.

He looked over at Gaara again, but this time, the feeling of defeat Naruto got from looking at the Kazekage's face disturbed him even more. Where was the fire in his eyes? The will to protect her? The fierce want to be with her? Or even the psychotic, blood-thirsty narcissist from when Naruto met Gaara for the first time? Though Gaara was definitely determined to save Maya, he really looked like he had given up on something.

Naruto's brow furrowed with worry. What has that Ichibi demon been doing to Gaara?

* * *

Hinata woke up uneasy. It had been a late night watch, and she had spent a restless night falling in and out of sleep. The late morning sunlight poured warmly into her room dancing upon the cool tatami mats that she lay on. Her comforter and soft futon were as fluffy and comfortable as ever, and the soft tans and browns of her room were no less soothing than before, but she found no peace in her tranquil surroundings. 

She was out and on the road in no time, heading almost unconsciously in the direction of Naruto's assigned watch post at the front of the Konoha gates above the sculpted heads of the Hokage. Since she didn't have to report to the Hokage until later that day, she decided to find Naruto at his post and maybe even bring him lunch.

The smells of the Ichiraku reached her soon, and the owner, Teuchi-san, recognized Hinata's blue hair from afar.

"Oi! I've got lunch for you and Naruto!" he called out in his friendly tone.

Hinata smiled as she walked up to receive the packaged ramen to-go with a cheerful smile.

"Did Naruto order these ahead of time?" she asked.

"No, on the house! We appreciate how hard you're all working! Ganbatte!" he said.

Hinata thanked him with a respectful bow.

"Naruto will definitely enjoy this! Thank you!"

"I'm glad to do it!" Teuchi said and then as an afterthought added to himself as Hinata turned and walked away, "I was surprised when he didn't come for some ramen earlier today. He usually likes to go on assignment with a full stomach."

The ramen shop keeper's words pressed on Hinata's mind. She couldn't get the nagging feeling to go away, the feeling that things were out of place. That's when her sharp eyes saw it. There was a fine trail of it on the ground around the Ichiraku.

_Sand._

Hinata burst into a run, bringing the two ramen with her but carrying them as if they were no burden at all. With a kick off the ground, she was up on the rooftops and able to fly towards the front gates at top speed with few obstructions. As she approached the front gate, she saw a figure there, but she knew it wasn't Naruto.

"Where is Naruto?" she asked, breathless more from anxiety than from running there at top speeds.

"Naruto didn't show up for his duty today so I got stuck with it. So troublesome," Shikamaru complained.

Hinata was about to explode from worry when it caught her eye again.

"Look! It's here, too!" she said pointing to the ground at the top of the front gates where Naruto and the two other jinchuriki stood last night.

"What?" Shikamaru said with genuine concern. He could see now that Hinata was barely keeping herself composed. He looked where Hinata was looking and then realized what she was staring so fervently at. He couldn't believe he had missed it. He looked at Hinata.

"Sunagakure," he spoke the word that had been screaming in her mind all this time.

Hinata wanted more than anything at this moment to jump off the front gates and follow this trail of sand where ever it may lead because she knew for certain that Naruto would be there at the end of it. Her long time teammate knew here thoughts and quickly spoke.

"Hinata, go see the Hokage. Now."

Hinata ignored him for a moment, still staring out beyond the vast forest.

"Hinata," Shikamaru said more firmly, "If you go now on your own, your chances of finding him will be close to nothing. Go to the Hokage first."

This reasoning broke her out of her trance. With worry expressed all over her face, she nodded at Shikamaru, turned, and headed for the Hokage's office.

Bursting into the office, she saw that the Hokage was not the least bit surprised to see her in her current state. She also noticed that assembled in the room were the top Konoha Chuunin.

"Now that we're all here, let's go over the mission," Tsunade-sama began the mission briefing. Trying to calm the screaming in her mind, Hinata took her place and stood at attention to her Hokage.

"At 3am this morning, when the watch was changing, it was noted that Chingis and Lluvia were not at their posts. Aburame Shino's destruction bugs," she gave a nod to Shino who stood next to Hinata, "were sent out to find them, but the two were not found in the village. At 9am this morning, Uzumaki Naruto did not show for his watch at the front gate. A similar search was conducted for Naruto with the same result. An hour ago, Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru found this near the Ichiraku ramen shop."

The Hokage held up a piece of what looked like trash directly to Hinata as if it were specifically for her and her alone. Hinata's eyes widened as she recognized Naruto's favorite instant ramen brand.

"Based on the note on this evidence, it is concluded that Naruto, Chingis, Lluvia, and Gaara of Sunagakure have been coerced to walk into a trap at the Akatsuki's lair with the kidnapping of one Sato Maya, a Chuunin of the Sunagakure. It is estimated that the three met up with the Kazekage at around midnight last night and left Konoha for the Akatsuki. This is an escalating hostage situation. We have just sent a message to the Sunagakure about the situation. It is doubtful they know the details about what has happened to their Kazekage."

Hinata's fists clenched. As the Hokage briefed her on the situation, she remembered the way Naruto was the night before and all of those intuitive doubts she had pushed aside were clear and glaring clues to what he was about to do.

"Hyuuga Hinata.

Aburame Shino.

Inuzuka Kiba.

Hyuuga Neji

Tenten.

Rock Lee.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Haruno Sakura.

Yamanaka Ino.

Akimichi Choji.

You are now assigned to the mission of support and rescue of Konoha's Chingis, Lluvia, and Uzumaki Naruto as well the Sunagakure's Kazekage and Sato Maya. Make preparations for distant travel and meet at the front gates for departure within an hour. The leader of your team is Nara Shikamaru who is keeping watch at the front gates. He has just been informed of the situation and mission. I have sent him all our intelligence on the Akatsuki that we have to date. This is an A-rank mission dealing with S-class criminals. Prepare accordingly."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Konoha's strongest Chuunin said in unison.

They didn't need to see Tsunade's serious eyes and worried expression to know that she had made yet another hard decision. They had long seen the pattern in her deployment. As valuable assets of Konoha, they should have been out on missions. Instead, teams of genin with jounin leaders had been sent out to take care of missions while they were kept at home for the possibility of the situation they currently found themselves in. Tsunade and Jiraiya together plus the top Jounin would have been the strongest team to send at the Akatsuki, but defense of the village and the maintenance of missions required their attention. To strip Konoha of its top ninjas would be leaving it weak against an onslaught. Hinata and her fellow Chuunin could not handle such a task of whole village defense on their own—at least not yet. They were not strong enough nor experienced enough. _However_, they were the best choice to be deployed as an effective first major offensive at the Akatsuki. Right now, while their seniors served as Konoha's shield, they would serve as Konoha's blade.

The Akatsuki had made their move, and now Konoha would make theirs.

* * *

Naruto held his breath as they stepped out into the waning sunlight. They had just passed through the dark, long labyrinth of the caves of Mount Hikari. It was the tallest of a range of mountains to the far east of Konoha, and it had taken them two days of nearly non-stop travel at top speeds to get there and one day just to make their way through the dark caves. The space that the end of the maze opened up to was an amazing sight to behold. It was a large, platform like place that looked like it was four times the size of the stadium that the Chuunin exams at Konoha are held in. Surrounding the immense platform were mountain sides and peaks. They were like steep, smooth walls on all sides making it apparent that the only feasible way in or out of this area was through the labyrinth from which they had just emerged. To their left was a massive statue of what looked like a monster's head. It had nine stone eyes that were all shut tight, and it sat on one of the adjacent mountains like a demon keeping watch over its prisoners. To their right was what looked like the monstrous head's stone hands protruding from another mountainside with palms facing up as if they were making an offering up to the heavens. Each finger tip had a dark, long nail that curved up menacingly. The large platform occupied the vast space between the stone head and its hands. 

Then the four jinchuriki saw them. In the middle of the plateau were 9 iron poles. They realized that young children had been strapped to five of the poles. Naruto gasped loudly and was about to run towards them but his momentum was stopped with the sound of a voice.

"Welcome. Let us make the exchange now," the voice of the Akatsuki leader spoke out.

The four looked this way and that, not sure where the echoing voice was coming from.

"There!" Lluvia said and pointed at the monstrous stone hands.

When Naruto looked, he realized that standing in the curve of each black fingernail was a dark figure. There were ten in all.

"GAARA!"

Gaara's heart couldn't help but skip a beat at the sound of Maya's voice calling his name. He swung around to look back into the cave that they had just come out of and there she was, tied up, held back, and guarded by a number of Akatsuki henchmen. It was all the Kazekage could do to keep himself from tearing those men to shreds with blades of sand. How dare they touch her. How dare they even stand near her.

"Allow yourselves to be tied to remaining poles, and Sato Maya will be set free and remain unharmed," the leader's voice echoed oppressively again from the direction of the monstrous fingers.

"NO! Gaara! Don't do this! They're going to kill you!" Maya cried desperately.

Gaara looked into her pleading eyes, and Maya detected the slightest sign of a sad smile on his expressionless face. And with a fleeting glint of affection in his eyes and one last look of goodbye, Gaara turned from her and walked straight towards the iron poles at the center of the large, flat space.

Naruto, Chingis, and Lluvia followed with solemn looks on their face. They had felt that the next move was Gaara's call, and without a question or doubt, they made their way to the iron poles as well.

As they stood with their backs to the poles, the Akatsuki henchmen were quick to tie them up firmly with heavy metal chains, binding their legs and tying their hands behind the thick pole in the same manner as the five young children were tied.

Naruto was at the first pole, and Gaara was at the other end of the line of nine. They were clearly ordered based on their tailed demons.

"GAARA! NO!"

Gaara looked back at the struggling Maya. From behind her came her brother, Gesshoku, and he dealt her a simple blow to the back. Maya promptly feel unconscious, held up only by her brother's firm hands. The Kazekage watched with reluctant longing as Maya was pulled by her brother back into the darkness. At the least, he felt assured that she would be safe, that her brother would watch over her, and the Akatsuki would keep their word. As the Kazekage, he had studied the group long enough to know that though they were merciless when a death would serve their purposes, they did not kill needlessly. Maya had served her purpose, and she was now free to go.

As Naruto hung off the pole he was now tied to, he realized that the ground was etched with lines. At first, he had thought it was just the natural cracks and corrugations of the mountain rock that marked the floor. Now he realized that the markings were not natural, they were in fact millions of small characters written across the rock in a large pattern that covered the entire expanse of the large, flat platform. The pattern spiraled outwards, and the iron poles they were tied to were in the very center of it all.

"Preparations are almost complete. Finish the Fuin jutsu (Sealing Jutsu)."

As the echoes of the Akatsuki leader faded, a chiseling drill like sound took its place. Chakra glow appeared all around the platform as the Akatsuki members carved the remaining marks into the mountain rock. It was an amazing sight to behold, but it could not be enjoyed by the jinchuriki that were held at the center of its death grip. The drilling sound was as unpleasant as a dentist's drill; it was piercing, shrill, and sent shivers up their spines. It felt as though their souls were being drilled into.

"Gaara," Naruto said in a voice that was barely audible above the drilling sounds all around them, "I can't use my chakra. Can you?"

"No. I feel physically drained as well," Gaara responded.

"The chains tying us down have Fuin jutsu marks as well," Lluvia observed, "like the ground. I noticed them as they tied us up."

Chingis pulled at the chains unsuccessfully. He had wished his whole life to be rid of his accursed powers. A year ago, he would have given anything to be able to wear these chains and be a normal, touchable human being. He looked at his beloved Lluvia tied up in the same manner, then at his new found friend Naruto, and finally at Gaara and the helpless children who were no doubt also jinchuriki albeit young ones. He let out a small laugh at the irony of it all.

"What is it?" Lluvia said a little startled by his unusual outburst.

Chingis looked at her with longing eyes.

"The day I lose my powers is the day I need them the most."

Lluvia smiled.

"I know _exactly_ what you mean," she said and then added, "But don't give up yet."

"Who said anything about giving up?" Chingis retorted jokingly as he gave the chains another tug. They jingled, mocking again his futile effort.

"We've tried everything. It's impossible to break them. We've tried everything."

A young girl to Chingis' right startled them by speaking.

"What's your name?" Chingis asked.

"What does it matter? We're going to die anyways," she snapped back. Her dirty violet hair and sharp looking silver eyes made her look like an alley cat hissing as if it were backed into a corner.

"My name is Lluvia. This is Chingis. That's Naruto of Konohagakure over there, and on the other end is Gaara, the Sunagakure's Kazekage," Lluvia made a fair attempt at being civil with the sour little girl.

"Huh, must not be much of a Kazekage if he can get snatched by the Akatsuki so easily."

"Hey brat," Naruto said, his eyes in a shadow as his head hung forward thoughtfully.

"What did you just call me?" the bad tempered girl snapped back instinctively. Naruto kept from smiling as she took the bait.

"A stupid brat."

"HEY! Nobody calls me a stupid brat! YOU'RE the idiot here! NOT ME!" the girl burned, her velvet, unkempt long hair almost standing on end.

"You're only getting upset because you know I'm right. You're just a stupid brat," Naruto pressed on camly, his eyes still in shadow.

"Oh yeah? Well you're the big hotshot who's tied here just like one of us kids here! WHO'S THE STUPID BRAT NOW YOU LOSER?!?" the little girl was almost hysterical.

"We're here to protect people we care about. We're not stupid and weak like a brat like you," Naruto continued in a maddeningly calm voice.

"WHAT? YOU THINK I CARE? I'M JUST A LITTLE KID! YOU'RE THE STUPID ONE GETTING CAUGHT IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SO BIG AND STRONG! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" the violet haired little girl screamed, almost cried as Naruto clearly hit on a sore spot in her psyche.

Naruto raised his clear blue eyes to meet her silver ones, and his stare shut her tirade up in an instant, the intensity in his eyes shocking her to the core. Without words, the little girl saw clearly in his eyes that he knew exactly what she had been through. The truth she saw there broke her resolve. Her face began to tremble and large tears began to spill from her silver eyes and roll down her dirty cheek causing some more of her dirty, disheveled violet hair to matt against her face.

"You don't know. You really don't know," she started to mutter weakly as her voice trembled.

Her grief was infectious and soon the other bound children began to wimper and sniff. A moment ago, anyone who looked at their small stolid, blank faces would think that their souls had been drained out of their little bodies long ago. There fresh tears now showed that their souls, though shattered, were quite alive and had been suffering all along.

Naruto turned his piercing glare away from the girl, and his eyes turned soft as they looked back onto the glowing chakra that chiseled their death sentence into the stone ground around them.

"We'll get out of this. All of us," Naruto stated, and then added with his usual defiantly optimistic smile, "We've got more important things to do than to hang around here."

LINE

Kiba and a large and almost fully grown Akamaru were running at the head of the pack as they followed the scent trail of Naruto and the other jinchuriki.

Behind him was the group leader, Shikamaru who occasionally glanced at the map given to him by the Hokage and then back up at the stars that shone in the clear night sky to check the accuracy of their progress.

To Shikamaru's left was Shino who was using his destruction bugs to run a detailed scout of the area they were in for other clues and trails. To the leader's right was Hinata who periodically swept the area for enemies and traps with her byakuugan. She had a look of determination on her face that showed that she would tear down an entire mountain with her bare hands if that's what it took to save Naruto.

Behind them were Chouji, Ino, Rock Lee, Tenten, Sakura, and Sasuke. In the very back watching their flank was Neji. They traveled across the forest trees in formation but with enough distance between them so that if an enemy attack should surprise them, they would not all be taken out at once.

Sasuke's fist tightened. He had hoped to master the Uchiha Ougi before this day. Now, he was speeding towards his brother, into the lair of the Akatsuki, with the safety of those dearest to him on the line, and he still had not mastered the secret technique of his clan.

_Only with no desire for the power of the ougi will you obtain it_.

_The greatest power lies in not wanting any while moving forward to obtaining it._

_Focus on the beauty in your soul and you will find the way to true selflessness._

He had read the scroll so many times that he had memorized the entire thing by heart. Shaking his head, he hoped that some enlightenment would come to him before he had to face his brother again.

* * *

_Author's Note: Since I've been watching the Shippuuden episodes, I'm considering possibly having some more extended crazy battles between the Konoha chuunin and the Akatsuki in the upcoming chapters because I'm getting to see the Akatsuki in action more. You probably can already tell that I've got Sasuke set up to battle Itachi…of course! Right?! This all might add up to more chapters than I had expected for this last part of the story, but I'm excited about the challenge of putting together the battles. _

_Also, a note to a reader out there whose contact info I can't find: Someone had sent me a description about a hidden reed village a super long time ago asking me to include it in this fanfiction. The time to include it is now, but I think my email has deleted that message and those details. So please contact me and send the info again if you have it still. Worse case I can integrate it into the chapter later on and repost it, but I don't know if they'll play a super big role since I got all the Chuunin there right now. They would probably be supporting characters. _

_Thanks again for reading everyone, and please look forward to the next chapter!_

_RAWK NEWS: For anyone who loves Naruto soundtrack music (like I do for sure!), the band with some similar Asian-fusion heavy rock music called the Random Ninjas has a bunch of new youtube videos of their shows in Hollywoord recently that you should totally check out! The music is FANTASTIC, especially for fans of Naruto soundtrack music. Just watch one of their live Roxy or Whisky shows and you'll know what I'm talking about. Look them up as "randomninjas" on youtube or you can find them on my "tinabot" youtube account. Anyone in LA area should definitely go to their show next Thursday Nov 15 at Whisky a Go Go where they'll be performing at 10pm after Machina (a band featuring members of Evanescence and Future Leaders of the World). There's going to be a bunch of major labels there that night, but Asian-fusion heavy rock music is hard to sell to mainstream America so who knows if the labels will consider supporting such unique music, but you know, us Narutards know what's up—that stuff RAWKS! _


	33. Chapter 33

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! I know it's been awhile, but I bring you this new chapter with a slew of other writing that I've been crafting and polishing for online publication. _

_Please check out tinabot dot googlepages dot com or click on the homepage in my profile for my original online novelblogs and other writing like articles and a photoblog as well. I'd appreciate it if everyone can leave comments on my writing whenever possible so that I can become a better writer, and so I know you're reading! _

_Like I've said before, nothing honors a writer more than a reader, and it is you readers that breathe life into my stories. They would be dead without you! Thank you for all your continued reading and patience, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter and all my original writing!_

_Special Thanks to Metal Dragoon for creating Team Tornado and offering it to me for this story which has helpfully added to this fanfiction! They make their appearance in this chatper!_

* * *

All The Difference 33 

Hinata splashed the cool sparkling water over her face. As the liquid in the mountain spring pool calmed again to a light ripple, the moon's pale white reflection formed clearly on its incandescent surface again. All around her were her fellow Konoha chuunin, classmates and friends that she had grown up with in their beloved village. They had rested a few hours and were now refreshing themselves and preparing for the last stretch of their journey. Many were splashing their face, drinking the water, and refilling their containers as well.

It had been hard to stop and rest when her destination was so close, but the heir to Konoha's first royal family knew that the upcoming challenge was leagues beyond an A-rank mission, and she would need to be rested and ready to meet this challenge of impossible odds. They were taking on a task that would have been difficult even for the legendary Sannin team, and they were just a team of 11 chuunin, mere rookies in comparison.

As these worries filled her mind, Hinata looked at the high peaks of the mountain range above them. The moon shone over it like a beacon as if marking the exact spot where her beloved Naruto was. The entrance was somewhere on this massive mountain range. The twilight reflected off of her pale eyes causing them to glow in the dark like a cat's eyes. Framed by her fierce look of determination, she was an intimidating sight in the dark night. Her chest filled with fear and anxiety but not because she was afraid of injury, torture, or even death. What she feared was failure. Getting to the Akatasuki's lair was only an easy first step. Her mind worked quickly in torturous circles as she gathered in and analyzed all the available information. She looked over at Shikamaru and from the way he stared intensely into the water he had scooped into his hands she could tell his mind was running through possible situations and probable strategies.

It was then that she heard it. A slight rustle of a branch in the distance as a foot stepped onto it. She knew the sound came from quite a distance; she was surprised to be able to hear it. Almost instinctively, she looked over at her cousin. Neji was already looking at her with wide eyes. He had heard it, too, and they both sunk into their activated byakuugan and began searching the distance.

"What is it?" Kiba asked his long time teammate, his voice still retaining its gruff quality even in whisper. His question alerted the rest of the group, and their senses heightened after they saw the bulging nerves and veins around the eyes of the Hyuuga cousins. Flashing through Neji's mind were the unmistakable images of shinobi flying from branch to branch. Three of them wore forehead protectors with an unknown village mark on them but one wore one with a scratched out symbol, and they were headed straight for them. They looked motley, as if they had been thrown together from different villages.

"Akatsuki!" Neji practically hissed.

With clenched fists and tightly grinding teeth, the group prepared for the attack. With no spoken direction, they each took a strategic spot and readied themselves for the onslaught.

"There's only four of them," Hinata shared the intel she gathered.

"But they're Akatsuki, so we shouldn't underestimate them," Neji finished her thought.

Not long after Neji spoke, the four attackers burst out of a thick patch of bushes and landed on the spot where the Konoha nin had all been just a moment earlier. They were all hidden among the leaves.

The oldest one who appeared to be the leader of the group of four nin sniffed the air and looked around. His hand came up habitually to sink his fingers into his raven-black, shoulder-length hair that was tied up above his scratched out Sound Nin forehead protector.

"Looks like we won't be able to drink in peace," he said as his dark brown eyes looked wistfully at the sparkling mountain water flowing peacefully nearby.

"How many?" said a very tall and muscular youth wearing red-brown chain mail.

"Eh…erm…a lot?" the leader raised an eyebrow at his subordinate and slightly shrugged his shoulders.

"Wow, that's so helpful," snickered a slight boy with blonde hair and grey eyes.

"Show yourselves, we know you are here," the last youth said as his strikingly amber eyes flicked from tree to shadow to rock under his dirty blonde locks.

"Identify yourselves first," Neji's voice came sounding out at the strangers with demanding authority.

Scratching the back of his head, the leader shrugged again and said, "Fair enough. I am Coyote, former nin of the Otogakure (Sound Village) and current leader of this shinobi team from the Ashigakure (Village Hidden in the Reeds)."

Following his lead, the others introduced themselves as well.

"Silk here," said the smallest and thinnest of the four with a wave of his hand.

"Burlun," the large, muscular youth said in a gruff voice as he crossed in massive arms in front of him.

"Ty Phun," added the amber-eyed young man covered in tatoos.

Neji stepped out of the shadows of a large rock.

"What is your business here?" As he spoke, he kept his byakugan active and particularly watched Shikamaru for any signals. He took the team leader's hidden nod as a sign to continue.

"Konoha, I should have known," Coyote said as a pleasant smile spread across his tan face. Whatever tenseness was in his face loosened as he added, "We must be here on the same mission."

Neji answered his puzzling statement with an intense stare that demanded an explanation.

"We're on a jinchuriki rescue mission," Coyote answered the silent demand.

Neji continued to stare at him with his unnervingly pupil-less eyes. Coyote let out a slightly exasperated, almost jocular sigh.

"Our modest little village, the Ashigakure, had taken to collecting some young jinchuriki who have been cast out of or greatly mistreated by their own villages or families. We've found six little ones that we took into our village as our own."

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, we do see the potential military power of having so many tailed demons as members of our village, but believe you me, these kids don't exactly bring sunshine and rainbows with them. In the end, they're really more danger than help to a village if you calculate all the risk. Anyway," Coyote continued as if he was having a casual conversation with an old friend instead of a serious one with a deadly Konoha nin, "we should have seen it coming when the Akatsuki waltzed into our village one day and made off with all six children in one swipe right out from under our noses. I know, it's a little embarrassing, don't you think?"

He laughed lightly while scratching the back of his head.

"But you know, we couldn't just leave the kids alone, so here we are, Team Tornado, sent to retrieve our new village members from their Akatsuki abductors."

Neji's eyes glanced from one of the strangers to another and then back to the leader.  
"I know, 'Why didn't we send more shinobi?' but you know, I could ask the same question of Konoha. Why only eleven Chuunin level ninjas?" Coyote added with a scratch of his nose.

Neji's eyes narrowed. The fact that this Ashigakure team leader was able to exactly identify the number and rank of the entire Konoha team showed that he was not to be underestimated despite his rather relaxed nature.

"If we're on the same mission, then let us join forces and move out," Hinata said resolutely as she stepped out from behind a tree to stand by her cousin. Neji made no move to turn and look at her.

"My gosh, two byakugan users. You both must be from the Hyuuga clan. Quite impressive," Coyote admired and then added quickly, "Sorry, you know the whole former-Sound-Nin thing. Orochimaru taught us everything he knew about your village."

"So he did," Sasuke said as he jumped out of a nearby tree.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Coyote's demeanor changed, showing that he was genuinely surprised to see the former protégé of the Sound Village leader.

"I remember you. You were sent on a mission to the Wave Country when you disappeared."

"Yeah, well, now you know what happened to me."

"We should be on our way," Hinata interrupted and pressed on, the clock in her mind ticking louder than her own heartbeat.

"Can we trust them?" Neji said without taking his eyes off of the strangers.

"Can we trust you?" Coyote threw back.

Neji didn't flinch a muscle.

"We will proceed with caution. The Akatsuki is our target, and time is wasted while we stand here."

"Yes, I know this one's abilities well at least," Sasuke added with an eagle eye fixed on Coyote.

"Joining forces would give us a better chance as well," Hinata added, "We must move quickly."

Coyote looked from Neji to Hinata to Sasuke and back to Neji again.

"Uh…which one of you is the team leader?" Coyote asked genuinely baffled but still speaking with a gregariously relaxed tone of voice.

Neji smiled at him in response.

"Guess."

"Hmm…" Coyote visibly pondered. Eight other formidable Konoha shinobi stepped into view, each looking as equals to the original three that stood before him. Coyote pursed his lips in puzzlement, but finally shrugged in defeat.

"I've exact coordinates for the Akatsuki's main center of operations. Let's get going then, shall we?"

* * *

Maya felt the cold air first. It went into her lungs and chilled her from the inside out. The iciness spread throughout her body and gradually began to awaken all of her senses from the dull unconsciousness that had overtaken her. Then she became aware that someone was carrying her. As her muddled mind began to recall the events of the past few days, she carefully and unnoticeably opened her eyes a bit to look up at the side of her brother Gesshoku's proud profile. She could also tell from the bright, cold white sky above and the brisk mountainside wind that she was now outside in the elements and no longer in the caves that lead to the center of the Akatsuki's current activities. Though she felt a welling panic inside as Gaara's sad smile flashed through her mind, she willed herself calm and closed her eyes again to think. She allowed herself to be carried on. 

In close combat she was no match for her brother, but with the element of surprise, she did have a chance. When the opportune moment came, her hand darted behind her brother's head and pressed sharply with a burst of chakra on a pressure point, the same one her brother had used to knock her unconscious. Gesshoku instantly fell unconscious, and Maya was even able to shift the weight of things so that both she and her brother rolled unharmed over the ground as they fell. Wasting no time, Maya dragged her brother to a nearby cluster of rocks and hid him within their crevices. She took off the heavy coat he had put around her and wrapped him in it—she would need no protection from the elements in the cave back to Gaara. She emptied out Gesshoku's weapons from his pouch and filled her own. She left one kunai in her brother's hand which she knew would be more than enough for him to defend himself and get away if needed.

As she stood up, she gave her brother one last look full of a mix of sadness, anger, and care before she took off at a run towards the cave entrance that she could see not far off from where she was. The entrance was camouflaged on the mountainside, but once you noticed it, it was hard to miss. It looked like the wide open, ravenous mouth of a large, fanged demon. When she reached the entrance, she whirled around at the sound of someone calling her name.

"Sato Maya!" Hinata's soft voice barely reached her in the thin, high-altitude air.

Maya stared at the young kunoichi running towards her flanked by a crowd of formidable shinobi. At first on alert and battle-ready, Maya's heart lifted when she noticed the forehead protectors glinting in the early morning light with the symbol of Konohagakure--Gaara's friends.

"Hai (Yes)!" Maya quickly affirmed.

"This is the entrance to the Akatsuki's fortress?"

"Hai!" Maya said as Hinata and her companions surrounded her.

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure. We are here to rescue hostages of the Akatsuki."

Maya saw the look of intense urgency in Hinata's eyes and clearly saw that she, too, was here to protect someone very important to her. The two young women bonded immediately as they recognized their shared purpose.

"Follow me, I've learned a few things about this cave over the past few days," Maya said with a firm nod. She turned and disappeared into the dark shadows of the cave and one by one, Hinata and the shinobi of Konohagakure and Ashigakure plunged into the darkness after her.

* * *

The chiseling and drilling sounds had gone on maddeningly for hours and hours as the jinchuriki hung helplessly off the iron poles. Most of the large platform of which they were the centerpiece was now covered in small and intricate characters that seemed to spiral out from the center in multiple layers. 

"Naruto."

Gaara's voice from the other end of the row of bounded jinchuriki pulled Naruto out of his own thoughts. He was desperately trying to figure out what to do next. So far he had no ideas, and he hoped Gaara would shed some light on the solution.

"From the configuration of this whole set up, it looks like they are planning to extract the biju (tailed demons) from us. I had suspected this had been their goal all along. The destructive force of the demons has been much sought after throughout history. Moreover, I do not think they will be able to separate our chakra from the biju when it's pulled out of our body. I doubt any one of us will survive such an extraction. It is possible they may begin with me since I contain the first of the tailed demons. There may be a way for you to break free and escape while they are preoccupied with that. Their chakra may be drained possibly weakening the nijitsu seals marked on the chains. If that occurs, you and Chingis and Lluvia must take these children and run."

"Good thinking Gaara! Chingis and Lluvia can leave with the children, and I'll stay to set you free…"

"No, their weakness would most likely lie in their chakra and focus being tied up in extracting my biju. You should all leave while you have the chance. Leave me behind. There's no need to worry."

"Ne, ne, so what's your plan for getting away?" Naruto asked, being his usual dense self. Gaara's head hung in silence for a moment before he responded.

"I have none."

Naruto's energetic smile slowly transformed into a scowl as understanding crept into his thick head.

"Your plan really sucks."

"Listen, Naruto, don't be foolish. It's the only way I can think of. And even then, they may not have a weakness during the extraction. There really might be no way for us to get away."

"Yeah, well, think harder and don't share stupid ideas with me anymore. I only want to hear the good ones. Any plan that leaves any one of us behind to die isn't even worth considering. How do you think Sato Maya would feel if she heard you right now?"

"She would be better off without me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his friend. So that's what this was all about.

"How would she be better without you?" Naruto baited another hook.

Gaara looked down at the stone floor covered in the carefully carved jutsu markings with a visibly sad smile.

"All I've ever done is infect her with my existence. She was removed from her teaching position at the academy, treated like an outcast, and even kidnapped. It's entirely my fault. It's better if I were…removed from her life."

"Is she an idiot?" Naruto asked a bit forcefully.

"What do you mean?" Gaara responded to the question that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Is she an idiot? Like really stupid and irresponsible?"

"No, of course not," Gaara said feeling slightly agitated that his friend would even suggest such a thing.

"Well, then you shouldn't treat her like an idiot then."

Gaara's eyes grew wide at Naruto's words.

"Maya's willing to take on the responsibilities that come with her choice to be with you. The least you can do is honor that choice. She's willing to get hurt for your sake; you should be willing to do the same for her, to risk seeing her hurt because of you. You shouldn't run away like a coward and pretend it's for her own good."

Gaara's brow furrowed and his eyes closed in shame. His self-delusion that he was doing what was best for Maya melted away to reveal the true dynamics of his actions. It was clear that Naruto knew exactly how he felt. Gaara couldn't bear the thought of Maya being hurt on his account, and his burdened life wasn't something that he wanted to see heaved upon someone so dear to him. He wasn't taking into consideration what _she _wanted.

"Hinata's been really hurt because of me. In fact it was one of the Akatsuki up there who tortured her to get to me, that Itachi creep standing at the ring finger of the right hand," Naruto said and stared daggers up at Sasuke's older brother who was glowing in a blue chakra flame of concentration, "but it's all the more reason why I can't give up here, why I have to survive and go back to her. She's counting on me, waiting for me. I can't let her down."

Gaara was silent for a long time after this; the other jinchuriki between him and Naruto were also quiet and unwilling to disturb his unvoiced thoughts. Then, with a clarity that wasn't there before, the Kazekage re-opened his eyes to look back at the markings of his looming death on the stone ground.

"Conviction. Commitment. Reciprocity. These are all essential when you love someone, aren't they?" Gaara finally said.

"It makes all the difference! And I'm totally _in love_!" Naruto exclaimed unabashedly with a toothy grin that brought a smile to everyone's face despite their predicament.

"I'm getting out of this alive even if it kills me!" Naruto added the upbeat oxymoron with determination. Then the ominous air of the Akatsuki stronghold filled with something completely unexpected—the laughter of children.

* * *

"Why were there no guards at the front?" Neji asked Maya as they sped along through the cave with small flashlights shining off of their belts to illuminate their way. Before Maya could answer, Shikamaru's voice interrupted from behind them. 

"They must have a multitude of traps and guards throughout this maze."

"Exactly," Maya confirmed, "This whole labyrinth is a 'front entrance.' Its purpose is to delay, exhaust, and stop intruders. Here's our first stop."

Maya slowed down and motioned for the rest of them to follow suite.

"Look, all over the floor."

They pointed their flashlights where Maya had hers. At first, it all just looked like normal rock formations of the cave. A closer look revealed the almost invisible markings of a carved jutsu in the stone.

"I've never seen anything like it," Tenten exclaimed, "They're exploding tags but carved into rocks…with chakra! It looks much more powerful, too."

"It's both a deterrent and a warning system. Explosions would alert them to intruders. The Akatsuki members personally set this up. The place where Gaara and the others are tied up, I saw that they were carving the entire stone platform with this same technique, only they weren't inscribing explosive seals into the ground," Maya explained as she gave Hinata a meaningful look.

Hinata's byakugan was activated, the bulging veins and nerves around her eyes enhancing her fierce expression. She held her hands up and formed a seal.

"Genjutsu Kai (Genjutsu Cancel)!"

Neji watched his cousin expectantly.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"No," Hinata replied.

"What is it?" Kiba asked with his hand resting on Akamaru's large head.

"Our byakugan is extremely limited in here. We can't see past the walls. There's some sort of high level genjutsu in place," Hinata informed her long time teammate.

"So that's what that was," Sakura said as she clenched a black-gloved fist that could easily break through the cavern walls if it weren't for all the explosive triggers.

"I sensed it early on but wondered why it wasn't distorting our reality. It's a perceptual block genjutsu. Interesting."

Dripping water echoing from deep within the cave seemed to be ticking their precious time away as they thought of their next step. It was one of the Reed nin that spoke up next.

"Exploding tags are infused with chakra, correct?" Ty Phun seemed to be asking Sakura.

"Yes, and they can be defused easily by breaking up the writing, the form of the characters. That's harder to do with this carved rock, though," Sakura offered.

"I think I might be able to help with that," Ty said as he put up his hands in a familiar seal and called out his technique, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

As his words echoed through the cave, four versions of himself appeared in clouds of smoke. The five Ty Phuns quickly went to work. They lined up and began scouring rocky path in front of the large group for explosive carvings. The original Ty pressed his full hand down the first explosive carving. As expected the sound of the explosive triggering began, but instead of leading to an explosion, it fizzed and died out and the rock under Ty's hand crumbled.

"Quite effective," Neji complimented.

"What is he doing?" Sakura asked.  
"His shadow clones all have their own chakra system, as if they weren't clones but actual bodies," Hinata answered with her byakugan still observing the Reed nin, "and he is absorbing the chakra that has been infused in each explosive then breaking the justsu mark."

"I'll have a path cleared for us soon," Ty said as he continued.

"Be careful when they start thinning out," Maya warned.

"Why?" Ino asked.

"Because the next challenge is a different kind of explosive."

* * *

To the dismay of the jinchuriki bound to their steel poles, the sounds of the chiseling and drilling of rocks ceased abruptly. There was a moment where the entire area was perfectly silent and, if it hadn't been for the monstrous face, the massive hands, and the cruel and calculating Akatsuki, it might have been considered a rather peaceful and brisk morning on the mountain top. The silence quickly became oppressive as they waited for the next move of the Akatsuki. 

The monstrous hands began to glow with the chakra of the Akatsuki. At first it was faint but it slowly grew with intensity. The helplessly bound jinchuriki craned their heads and shifted the best they could to see what was happening. Without warning, a beam of blue chakara came flying at them. A scream of extreme pain filled the air as the combined chakra of the Akatsuki hit the most powerful of the tailed demons—the Kyuubi. The other jinchuriki watched in horror as Naruto's body and face contorted in pain. The beam of blue chakra shot through him and reached all the way to the huge demon face statue. Red chakra began to seep out of Naruto's body as the horrid process of extracting the Kyuubi from his body began. Naruto's body arched as if someone were pulling the heart right out of his chest. The children jinchuriki looked on in utter terror in their eyes.

"NARUTO! HANG ON!"

Gaara, Lluvia, and Chingis renewed their struggles with the binding chains, rubbing their already raw skin to bleeding as they heard the heart wrenching yells of their friend.

* * *

Hinata was filled with a sudden urge to leap forward. The path free of explosives was well along thanks to the work of Ty Phun and his shadow clones. They had been advancing steadily, and she involuntarily took a few quick steps forward. One of Ty Phun's clones held up a tattoo covered arm to block her. 

"Careful."

Hinata's brow furrowed even more with worry.

"We have to hurry," she said with almost hysteric urgency.

"Yes, but look," Ty Phun replied. He pointed into the dark. The group pointed their flashlights in the direction he pointed, and all of the lights fell upon a single, round white object. Then, a white sphere turned around to reveal a tiny, spider-like face and out from its sides unfolding what looked like eight paper legs.

"What is it?" Kiba asked.

Hinata reactivated her byakuugan. Though she couldn't see past the cave walls, she could see what was inside there with them.

"It's some sort of malleable matter infused with explosive chakra. They're bombs. And there are hundreds of them all over this cave."

As if in response to Hinata's voice, the small arachnid bomb crouched and then jetted towards them. Out from behind the crevices and rocks of the cave launched a whole slew of its brethren. Neji and Hinata stepped forward in front of everyone.

"HIDDEN KUNAI!"

The flying white spider bombs began to explode one after another, and not a single one hit their group. The leader of the Ashigakure Team Tornado, Coyote, whistled out in a dropping tune of admiration. Unfortunately, the light from the exploding spiders revealed that there was another wave waiting amongst the rocks to launch. They crouched and prepared to jump at them. Unexpectedly, Neji and Hinata stepped back behind their team leader.

"Kage Nui (Shadow Sewing)."

The next wave of spider bombs leapt, but they got nowhere. Their flimsy little eight legs were somehow stuck to the ground as if they had all walked onto a poisonous insect trap. Then the shadows they were stuck to began to reach over and engulf them in their abysmal blackness. There were muted explosions everywhere, and then it was over.

"It's clear now," Konoha team leader Shikamaru said.

"When we fight the Akatsuki, you should go after Deidara," Maya said.

"Dei—who?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"He's the Akatsuki member who made these bombs. He has a satchel of explosive clays that he somehow molds into different forms of bombs. The spiders are one of his favorites."

"Mendokuse (troublesome)…" Shikamaru grumbled, but he knew that Maya was right. His kage manipulation skills would be quite effective against such an opponent.

"Let's go," Hinata said after another sweep of the cave for more exploding bugs.

They moved forward, running down the cave after Hinata and Neji who continued to search for traps and explosives as they went along. Their many tiny flashlights swept and shook beams of light through the vast darkness as they ran. And then they saw light.

"We're almost there!" Ino yelled out as she saw the light.

"That should be the exit to the platform where they have all Gaara, Naruto, and the rest tied up!" Maya yelled.

Their already fast pace quickened some more, and above the light sound of their feet against the cave ground, they heard something. A hush fell over them as they listened, and then they heard the screaming. Hinata recognized it immediately.

"NARUUUTOOO!"

Tears almost burst out of her eyes from heartbreak as she listened to Naruto's screams of pain coming in from the light at the end of the tunnel, but she fought to keep her sight clear. She knew she would need it now more than ever.

"NO!" Sakura screamed after Hinata as she, too, recognized the voice of her long time teammate.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke screamed almost simultaneously with Sakura.

"HOLD ON NARUTO!" Choji bellowed.

"WE'RE COMING!" Ino added.

"DON'T GIVE UP!" Kiba encouraged.

"KEEP FIGHTING NARUTO!" Rock Lee yelled.

The Konoha nin were all yelling at the cave opening now, and it was a cacophony of friendship that hoped to reach Naruto and keep him fighting. They projected their voices forward as if to start the fight before their arrival, and as they approached the opening, a shadow grew out of the ground and took form in the middle of their path. Unfolding like blooming rose petals over the figure was what looked like the two haves of a venus fly trap. All Konoha nin teeth clenched in irritation, and the sound of collective grinding was tangible. They didn't have time for delays. Their friend needed them NOW.

They became even more irritated as multiple figures joined the venus fly trap. Reluctantly they slowed and stopped about 30 yards in front of their opponents. There was no sense in rushing into an unknown situation and getting slaughtered before even beginning. The light from behind the tunnel had kept their enemies faces in shadow, but as they had come closer, the familiarity of the shadows caused all of their fists to tighten. Team Tornado of Iwagakure and the top Chuunin group of Konoha came face to face…with themselves.

They all wondered the same thing. Did these clones possess the same power as them? And more importantly, how were they going to tell their own from the clones? They appeared on all accounts identical in every way.

The cloned Sakura walked calmly to the cave wall to her right, clenched her gloved fist, and punched the wall at an angle. The opening behind the clones closed up as the cave collapsed and blocked the way and all the light. The cave fell into darkness gain with the only light coming from their small flashlights.

"Shijintai Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Four God Squad Summon technique)!"

Ty's voice of Team Tornado echoed through the cave. There was a growl in the darkness, a flapping of wings, a heavy drop of a foot, and the scratching of claw against rock. Their flashlights revealed a sharp talon here, a patterned shell there, and four pairs of large gleaming eyes. The sharp sound of a bird's wailing shriek filled the cave, sounding like a giant eagle. A gust of wind blew through the enclosure and a whooshing sound of many flying projectiles filled the trapped air. Then, it sounded like a thousand daggers pierced into the rocks around the cave.

Suddenly the cave was awash in light so bright that it seemed like they were outside in the sun instead of trapped in cave. As their eyes adjusted to the newfound brightness, the Konoha ninja found themselves flanked on either side by a giant black turtle and a huge white tiger. Above them floated a crimson phoenix that was the source of the light and the features of this phoenix were spread all over the cave walls. Each feather emitted light as if it were a piece of the sun itself. In front of them towered a large blue dragon that about filled up all the space between them and their clone enemies. Typhun stood in the middle of it all, having rejoined with his clones, and he had his arms outstretched in front of him. The tattoos all over his arms were gone. Apparently, they had manifested into the creatures that now surrounded them.

The venus fly trap creature was fully illuminated now. It was a man who looked like he was being consumed by the two halves of a large, sharp venus fly trap. Half of his body was pure white and the other half was pure black, and his contrasting eyes were calm yet disturbing at the same time. He wore the flowing robes of the Akatsuki, dark with ominously red floating clouds. Just as they had caught sight of him, he began to melt into the ground. They were left alone with their clones. A hard look of determination glimmered in each of their eyes. Team Shikamaru and Team Tornado looked ready to pound this entire mountain into the ground.

By phoenix feather light, the fight began.

* * *

_Author's Note: Battle scene next! Oh man, I'd better make another diagram of everyone's abilities...I'll update my original writing each time I publish a new chapter here, too, so I've got a lot of work ahead of me!_

_Please look forward to the next chapter and updates to my original writing!_

_If you would like to be on my mailing list, please send me your email!_


	34. Chapter 34

_Author Note: Thank you everyone for your notes, emails and messages! Again I'm sorry for the long, long delay and for having no time to respond to everyone's messages. I am not giving up on this story! I've got this last plot arc to end plus some epilogue goodies and a part 3 story planned, so there's plenty more to writing for me to do for this series. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for your patience and for reading!_

* * *

All The Difference 34

Every Konoha nin looked knowingly at Nara Shikamaru for direction. In this crucial moment, as one of their friends was being tortured to death on the other side of the fallen cave rocks, they needed the quickest most efficient strategy, and if anyone could figure out the best way to finish this battle quickly, it would be Shikamaru. Instinctively following the lead of the Konaha nin, the Sunagakure and Ashigakure nin looked at him as well.

With all eyes on him, Shikamaru wasted no time in sending a loud and clear message to all those on his side. The sound of his almost maddeningly relaxed gait echoed like a ticking bomb throughout the cavern, rising above the flapping of the giant phoenix overhead and the deep breathing of the other giant creatures surrounding them. He walked past the blue dragon that stood protectively in front of the group as he made his way to the identical group of clones facing them. He stopped in front of his own clone.

Everyone jumped to action instantaneously racing with full force attacks at their own clone counterparts. Shikamaru's message was simple. The most efficient battle was to have each warrior out wit the clone they understood the most--their own. Thus no time would be wasted on figuring out the ability of the enemy.

The battle that ensued was mind bending to say the least. The shadow of the Nara family bloodline materialized and wrestled with that of its imitating foe. A dome of Hakkesho Kaiten of unmatched size spun around Hyuuga Neji and grinded against his clone's spinning chakra dome releasing a saw clashing sound. Kankuro unleashed Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouo, and all three of his puppet arsenal attacked the copies with everything they had in an amazing display of multiple task chakra puppeteering control. Ashigakure's Ty flew alongside his four summoned creatures as the tattoos on the opposing cloned Ty exploded off of his arms and became flesh and bone opponents as well. The sound of growls, shrieks, and claws smashing against each other added to the battle cacophony.

Amidst the raucous of combat, Hinata silently zoned in on her target. She could not help a loathing that boiled up inside of her at the sight of her own clone. It was a Hinata without soul, an image of herself that felt no love for her dearest and cared nothing for her friends and family. Most of all it was a Hinata that stood between her and her suffering Naruto. It was more than she could bear and the tears of hate, anger, and grief pushed at the edges of her eyes as her lily-poised hands struck soundlessly at the heartless imposter.

Their exchanges went on for a while, and each second passed painfully. Each strike was blocked, and neither side made any headway. It was exactly what the Akatsuki wanted to accomplish—delay.

Suddenly, Hinata stopped. She stared into her clone's eyes with a fury unmatched by any in that cave.

"Enough."

Never had the soft spoken Hinata sounded so commanding, so firm, so absolutely clear in her purpose.

She had decided to bet it all on one technique, one that she had never formally trained in but had watched and analyzed first hand. It was the technique that had easily beaten her at the last chuunin exams, and it was one she knew her clone did not know.

The false Hyuuga girl mechanically paused for a moment. It was simply adjusting to the new situation and showed no signs of surprise at Hinata's change in behavior. Redirecting its efforts at a now still Hinata, the clone struck again with juuken precise fingers. The real Hinata, on the other hand, blurred out of sight, and the attacking clone struck only the stale cave air. Hinata's use of Naruto's flicker technique was a crude imitation, but it was enough to give her the upper hand. Blurring back into solid perception behind the offending clone, Hinata made a solid strike at a critical chakra point at the back of her clone's neck. With her byakuugan activated eyes, she was able to watch as her precise strike shot through the chakra flow of the imposter, radiate through the entire system and disintegrate it from the inside out. She felt no queasiness as she watched the image of herself melt into a pile of what looked like rotten vegetation.

After she was satisfied that her opponent was completely finished, she turned to the nearest battling pair near her which happened to be Sakura. With her inherited and trained eyes, she was able to detect the difference in chakra essence and match one of the two Sakuras to the clone that she had just defeated. As the real Sakura kept her clone busy, Hinata struck at the enemy again in the same spot and the two kunoichi watched with calculating intensity as that clone too melted into harmless, putrid gunk. With a firm nod to each other and a shared urgency, they set to work aiding their comrades and the rest was an avalanching snow ball effect. Each clone was taken down, and soon even the rotting remains were beginning to subside and meld with the ground as so much fertilizing humus.

Without prodding, Sakura walked to the wall of rubble that blocked off the opening of the cave while gathering her chakra in her hand. She pulled back her black gloved fist, and as soon as she took the last step that brought the wall within her striking range, she let loose the legendary punch she learned from one of the great Sannin and reduced the wall of rocks into fine sand.

Night had fallen again; a whole day had passed during the pursuit and battles in the mountain tunnels. Out in the large platform covered in eerily glowing chakra carvings, the young jinchuriki peeled away their eyes from the horrible sight of the still screaming Naruto when the boom of a great explosion filled the air. Their nerves were raw, but still they felt a sense of awe as the once solid rock suddenly exploded into so much powder. As dark figures emerged from the slowly clearing dust, they recognized familiar faces, the team of nin from the Ashigakure, and hope dared to stir in their hearts.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Hinata's voice echoed through the large open space.

"NARUTO!"

Gaara turned his eyes from his suffering friend just in time to see the look of utter horror and heartache on Hinata's face.

Hinata's mind was a split second away from exploding as her eyes beheld the horrific sight before her. There was her Naruto bound like so much prey to a metal bar screaming himself hoarse as blood red chakra was being pulled out of his body. It flowed out of his eyes, his mouth, and every pore on his body, and it was streaming like a red river towards the monstrous many-eyed stone head.

Losing her sense of cautious advancement, Hinata could not help but fling herself towards him. Just as she came close to the first of the glowing chakra carvings on the ground, she hit the chakra field as if it were solid wall. Scrambling back up to her feet as if she hadn't hit anything at all, her byakuugan activated again, and she frantically analyzed the situation. The whole platform was an immense ocean of chakra. She could see clearly that it was the chakra of multiple ninja mixed with the Kyuubi's, and more terrifying was that it included Naruto's own chakra which was leaking out of his body like life giving water out of a cracked glass.

"They finished faster than expected," one of the cloaked Akatsuki members said.

"Still we must continue. We are near the end," another spoke, their voices mingling together and unrecognizable from each other.

"With the nine tail's chakra under our control, their defeat will take only seconds, and the extraction of the others will come easily."

"Finish it."

Naruto's screams suddenly ceased, and his body fell limp.

_I…don't…want…to…die…_

The image of Hinata's sweet smile flashed into his mind.

_Not…yet…I…promised…to…go…back…to…her…_

The image of Kakashi sensei, Iruka sensei, Sakura, Sasuke, and all the rest of his Konoha family brightened up and then dimmed.

_I…I…don't…want…to…die…_

_I know…_the Kyuubi answered his host's dying thoughts.

"Extraction is complete," the multiple voices of the Akatsuki said in unison.

The sound of Naruto's silence was a million times more terrifying than his screams of agony. In her state of total panic, she glanced down at the chakra carvings, and a last ditched effort came to her mind. She could not reach Naruto because of these carvings. She had to destroy them, but she could not reach the carvings through the ocean of powerful chakra. So she had but only one angle of attack left—a strike from underground to break up the chakra carving seals.

She formed the seals she had learned from the scroll she had found in her room, the sequence that she and Naruto had worked so hard to learn together, the same sequence of seals that they had taught their friends—the Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kotan (Wood Release Secret Techique: Birth of Dense Woodland.) She fed her chakra into the ground.

Deep beneath the stone platform, old, dormant and long-buried seeds of trees past began to stir from their perpetual slumber. But it wasn't enough. The seeds stirred but would not sprout. Sadly, this Hyuuga heir was not an heir to the First Hokage's mokuton (wood release) technique bloodline, and though the seals had been a way to imitate the technique, the result was but a poor simulation of the foundational power of the Shodaime Hashirama Senju who grew the forests of the Hidden Leaf Village. Hinata could not do it.

"Please…please…please…" she cried quietly as she continued to force her chakra into the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut as she pleaded, and large tears that had been held back all day squeezed out from between her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks. They splattered helplessly on the stone ground between her hands.

Around her, the other Konoha chuunin team watched in shock at Hinata's useless efforts until Shikamaru broke them out of their daze.

"EVERYONE! MAKE THE MOKUTIN SEALS NOW!"

His hands desperately sped through the same sequence of seals and slammed into the ground, joining Hinata in her effort to destroy the chakra carvings. A few of the old seeds split slightly open.

The rest of the Konoha nin figured out quickly what the plan was and followed suit. One by one, each finished the sequence of seals they had learned from Naruto and Hinata on those lazy, peaceful afternoons under the beautiful foliage of Konoha's forests. One by one, they slammed their hands against the ground and joined in feeding their life force into the silent seeds below.

"What are they doing?" Ty Phun asked loudly.

"It looks like they're sending their chakra into the ground for some kind of jutsu…" the Ashigakure team leader answered, and then added with realization, "They're trying to break the seals with an attack from underground!"

"Then we must give them our chakra," Temari spoke with clarity in her eyes. She stepped up to Shikamaru who was only a few steps in front of her and placed her hand firmly on his back. She closed her eyes and concentrated on sending chakra into Shikamaru's body for his disposal. The rest of the Sunagakure and Ashigakure nin placed their steady hands on the nearest Konoha nin and did the same.

The seeds exploded with green life.

First there was a rumbling. Then parts of the carved, stone platform started to crack and split, the sound of breaking rock echoed through the twilight air. Large green and brown vines began to reach out through the separated platform slabs and fly up toward the night sky, and it shown like black sparkling opal with the glimmering dispersion of so much powerful chakra.

Hinata was immediately on the move. Springing forward, she burst through the dissipating chakra like a meteor through a nebula of stardust. Jumping from vine to vine, running down one and then up another, she recklessly yet precisely made her way through the mass of moving plant growth that threatened to smash her at any moment. Behind her followed the others though none could match her speed, urgency and fury.

The red flow of the Kyuubi's chakra that was originally streaming steadily toward the large stone monster head began to spill out. The many eyes opened slightly, and it looked as if tears of blood streamed from them. A thick sense of grief filled the air as the growth of the vines slowed to a creaking, stretching halt.

Hinata reached Naruto who was hanging lifelessly from the metal pole, pitifully bound by the chains that had blocked his chakra use. With a flick of her wrist a small kunai tied to a delicate but solid chain slipped into her hand. She inserted the tip into one of the chains and broke it with a forceful twist. The chains loosened, and Naruto's limp body immediately fell into her warm and waiting arms, and she quickly but very gently laid him down on his back. With her byakuugan she could see clearly that Naruto had not an ounce of charka left in him. Everything about him was silent, cold…dead. Though a tidal wave of anguish threatened to overwhelm all of her senses, she immediately set to work, putting her hands on his chest and feeding what chakra she had left into him.

All around her, the other jinchuriki were being released from their chains. Maya headed straight for Gaara and broke his chains. Sakura was quick to join Hinata, putting her hands on Naruto's chest. Sasuke placed his hand firmly on Sakura's shoulder. One by one, the other nin placed their hands either on Hinata or Sakura. Unable to match the two in healing skills, they were at least able to lend them charka. Even the small children who did not quite understand what was going on or what to do, each placed their hands on an Ashigakure nin, closed their eyes, and willed for life to come back to the spirited, yellow headed ninja's body. Desperately, Hinata and Sakura tried to use the chakra to jump start Naruto's system. The seconds ticked by, and their efforts made no visible difference.

The Konoha, Sunagakure, and Ashigakure nin, jinchuriki or not, were so concentrated on the task at hand, they did not notice as some of the Akatsuki faded away as if they were never there in the first place. They also did not notice the gathering of the red Kyuubi charka. It began to grow in size as it gathered and soon the limbs, head, and nine tails were quickly taking shape. It was gargantuan, and as the nine-tailed fox demon took shape, it materialized into its solid form, red charka turning to the red fur of a beast. Its eyes were like pools of blood with vertically slit black pupils. Massive razor teeth lined its mouth as it hung open viciously with a lolling tongue rolling wildly out of it. Its long fox ears whipped maliciously on its head, and nine long and flaming black tails fanned maniacally out behind it.

The remaining Akatsuki looked on in interest, apparently unmoved by their failure to finish the extraction and containment process. They were like scientists watching with interest as their experiment took an unexpected turn. The Kyuubi was loose. It was free to exercise its own will. Knowing that containing it would require the sacrifice of one of their lives, they felt it more productive to see if someone else was willing to go through the trouble of containing the creature.

Kyuubi dug its great claws into the broken ground. Its growl was ear piercing, demonically deep and sharp at the same time. The only thing separating the most powerful of the tailed demons from the group of ninja was the massive plant growth that had released it. The biju lifted its massive forepaw and in a single swipe cleared a path for itself to where the jinchuriki had been tied up in the center of the platform. Plant, rock, and earth splattered on the side of the mountain, and the force of the blow shook the entire mountain range. Aside from Hinata and Sakura who stilled crouched steadfastly with their hands on Naruto's chest, all of the ninjas were shaken off their feet breaking their collective charka flow towards their fallen comrade.

It took Kyuubi only one massive step forward to get to the small group of ninja. There was no time for them to recoup from their fall, and they could only look up in confusion and awe as the red forepaw of the most feared and dangerous demon in the world rose and came down on them swiftly like a foot about to drop on so many ants. They had only time to brace for the impact. But it never came.

Kyuubi's paw hovered carefully over the group, casting an ominous shadow over them all, but it did not step down. It did not crush them. Instead it looked as if it was beginning to bleed. Powerful red charka dripped off its deadly claws and drenched them all. It was warm, almost to the point of burning, but it never reached a level of pain. They looked down at the red, viscous charka as it flowed over them, held their hands up and watched as their bare skin absorbed the life force, marveled at the renewed sense of vitality that was flowing through them. It felt like pins and needles, as if their bodies were awakening to a level of life that they had never known before.

Hinata and Sakura paid no heed to what was happening around them and kept focus on their task. Though her face was stoic and focused, inside Hinata knew what Kyuubi was doing. She sent a silent thanks to the demon that hovered its lethal claw overhead.

Then hope and joy sprung forth in her heart like she never knew it could. Naruto's charka system flickered, then filled and burned with red charka. Gradually, his own blue charka began to flicker and grow until it was strong and steady.

His bright blue eyes slowly opened as life surged through him again. The once dead young man blinked as if he was simply rising from a nap. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Naruto awoke to the familiar warmth of the Kyuubi's charka and the smiling faces of Hinata and Sakura, both with tears streaming down their cheeks. Hinata collapsed over him from exhaustion and relief, burying her face into his chest that now had a beating heart again. He reached one arm over her to hold her close and held up his other hand to Sakura who took it with a firm grip.

The Kyuubi removed its paw without harming a single hair of the ninjas below, and the last of its charka was absorbed into their bodies.

"Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed in relief as he saw his friend and teammate alive and well. The rest of them broke into smiles and exclamations of his name, too, as if his name was an expression of thanks for his revival.

Naruto sat up with a worn out Hinata still clinging to him. She was now sobbing quietly as she pressed her face against him. Sasuke and Sakura crouched next to them.

"You should have seen her," Sasuke said with a wide grin.

"She pushed us forward, turned the tide at the most critical moments," Sakura added with an equally wide grin.

Naruto looked down at the mass of blue, silken hair and his eyes softened. He raised his hand to her hair and smoothed it out tenderly.

"I'm sorry I made you so worried. Thank you for coming to my rescue," he said softly into her ear. Hinata was too broken down at that moment to respond with any words, and all she could do was shake her head.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged knowing looks. They understood you could expect no less from someone who was truly in love.

"It's good to have you back." Sasuke put a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Thank you. Thanks to all of you!" Naruto exclaimed gratefully.

"Anything to avoid having to carry you home, mendokuse (troublesome)," Shikamaru commented dryly which got a few chuckles from people.

The atmosphere lightened as the crisis of Naruto's lost life was clearly averted, and Gaara and Maya looked at each other in silence for a long moment. Gaara saw in Maya's eyes a thousand questions, a thousand reprimands, and endless emotion. Gaara remembered his original intent to die and leave her alone, making the excuse that she would be better off without him. Naruto had again knocked some sense back into him. He had only tried to escape the responsibility that comes with being loved. Gaara was now ready to make a deeper commitment. It was time to accept completely what Maya had to offer him. Then, to Maya's surprise, he smiled that familiar smile he only showed when they were alone together.

"Gomenasai (I'm sorry)," he said and then, in front of everyone took her in his arms and kissed her. Then he added, "Aishiteru (I love you)."

Maya's eyes glimmered with tears as she smiled back, and she threw her arms around the sand demon's neck and hugged him warmly.

"Oh my gosh, that's so romantic," Ino said, her blond hair drifting slightly in the mountain breeze as she clasped her hands out in front of her. The sky above them was turning a light transitioning mix of blue, orange, and pink as the sun's rays were seeping over the horizon.

"Ino," Kiba said suddenly, appearing behind her and turning her to face him.

"What?" Ino said with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. He looked down into her light blue eyes with his deep, dark gaze.

"Gomenasai…shoshite aishiteru (I'm sorry…and I love you)," he said with a husky, deep voice, and then he proceeded to purse his lips out in a most exaggerated and ridiculous fashion as he lowered his face to Ino's.

"Stop it!" Ino laughed, "Stop!" She turned her mirthful face away to avoid the pursed lips that were poised to slobber her face in jest. She attempted to wriggle out of Kiba's grasp and push his face away with a free hand.

"I wuv yoo, Ino…" Kiba continued with his lips still pointing out, and he added some kissing sounds to top it all off.

The group broke into laughter at Kiba's antics. It wasn't until their laughter had died down that they noticed the low, growling breath of the massive nine-tail fox demon behind them. Unable to avoid feeling at least some apprehension, they turned slowly to look up into the massive jaws of the Kyuubi. It had been watching over their dramatics with unexpected patience.

Naruto got up, helping the still emotional Hinata to her feet with him. He looked up at the monster that had plagued his life since birth…and who had just helped give him another chance at life. Despite its kind actions, the Kyuubi still looked hideously evil with its fierce fangs and mad red eyes.

"Yo! Kyuubi!" Naruto called up in his usual loud and spirited voice, "Thanks!" Naruto gave his companion a thumbs up and his classic toothy grin. The rest of the nin couldn't help but notice that the Kyuubi's eyes looked to the side awkwardly, as if he didn't know how to respond to thanks. A powerful demon feeling socially awkward? Now that's a sight you don't see every day.

It was then that Hinata had the strength to pull away from Naruto and turn around. She looked up at the Kyuubi with pale eyes still brimming with tears.

"Arigato (Thank you), Kyuubi-chan!," she said as she wiped away some of the tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.

The Kyuubi's eyes grew wide with mild surprise which took the place of the awkwardness apparent in them just a moment earlier. Then they unexpectedly softened. His deep, rumbling voice filled the entire platform as he spoke.

"Why do you cry? Are you not happy?" he asked with childish puzzlement.

Hinata smiled and said in a quivering voice, "I'm just crying because I'm so happy and relieved and thankful." She let out a laugh that was mixed simultaneously with a sob. The Kyuubi took a moment to reflect on her words as he looked down at the familiar Hinata whose face and soul were bursting with so much emotion.

"Hmm," the Kyuubi continued, "I've lived an eternal life, and yet I do not understand these things."

The fox demon heaved a heavy sigh of discontent and said, "I feel like a child who still has much to learn. Naruto, with your permission, I would like to stay by your side and learn about that which I do not comprehend."

Naruto burst into a wider grin.

"I thought you'd never ask!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, please stay with us. We would miss you if you left," Hinata added emphatically.

"Miss…me?" Kyuubi almost reeled in confusion, and then he mumbled, "Curious. Much to learn indeed…"

The others watched in awe at the exchange between the destructive demon and the reunited, loving couple. Kyuubi noticed their trepidation.

"It would be more appropriate if I took on a form that represented my level of development more accurately," the Kyuubi said thoughtfully. At that, his charka began to swirl about him in a sort of red spherical whirlwind, and his massive figure became transparent, then a thin outline, and finally it dissipated altogether.

All of them had been looking up with their heads tilted far back at the enormous demon. When his form disappeared, their gaze lowered to the ground where his great paws had been. There was nothing there but rubble of torn plant and broken rock still with traces of the charka carvings on them.

"Where'd he go?" Coyote frankly voiced out what was on everyone's mind.

"One o'clock," Neji said.

They all looked in that direction and noticed a small red dot that was making its way towards them. As it got closer and they could make out what it was, every jaw dropped.

Running towards them, hopping from rock to rubble and root to vine was a small, red, furry fox with three fluffy, white tipped tails waving behind it. It ran on small dainty paws, and it had large, round doe eyes. The only thing that reminded them that this tiny, harmless-looking little creature was indeed the dreaded nine-tail fox demon were the two threatening, vertically slit pupils that cut through the creatures wide eyes.

It came up to Naruto and Hinata and sat expectantly at their feet, looking up at them the way a child would to a watchful and guiding adult.

Naruto's jaw had dropped farther than most, and his eyes had about gone totally wide and white with surprise. He pointed an accusing finger at the tiny Kyuubi fox demon, and it slightly went cross-eyed as it stared at the point of Naruto's finger adding an extra punch to its overall, excruciating adorableness. The all-powerful and ferocious nine-tail demon now looked like a charming little stuffed animal come to life.

"K…K…Kuh…Kuh…" Naruto sputtered in disbelief, "Kah….KAAAAWAAAAIII?!"

"Nani (what)…" Kyuubi said dryly in his deep voice as his eyes narrowed in mild irritation.

"Nandemo nai desu (It's nothing). Naruto just likes your new form," Hinata said with suppressed laugh.

Kyuubi snorted in response.

"Well," he continued in his serious, deep voice that seemed mismatched to his new appearance, "when you are all done gawking at me, you may want to turn your attention to the remaining Akatsuki that have been observing us with great interest."

They all turned to look at the massive rock hands where the Akatsuki were. Only five of the original ten were still standing there dispersed amongst the tips of the stone fingers.

"Where did they other go?" Rock Lee asked.

"It seems they were never here in the first place," Neji explained, "I noticed that though their charka was a strong complete system, it seemed somehow insubstantial, as if they were only here by proxy of some sort of charka extension jutsu. Their disappearance now partially validates that hypothesis."

"Tricky," Tenten exclaimed.

"They're S-rank criminals. We can't just let them go," Choji said with a smile.

"Indeed we cannot," Shino agreed.

Sasuke looked closer and recognized the stature of Uchiha Itachi despite the distance between them.

_Only with no desire for the power of the ougi will you obtain it. _

_The greatest power lies in not wanting while moving forward to obtaining it._

_Focus on the beauty in your soul and you will find the way to true selflessness._

He clenched his fists. The words of his ancestor echoed through his mind, but he still could not make any sense of it. How in the world is he supposed to harness a power by not wanting it? How can beauty in your soul and true selflessness lead to mastery of ninjitsu?

_No evil can withstand the power of healing and love._

It seemed more like a philosophy or poetry book than a formula for an ultimate ninja technique.

Sasuke braced for the face off with his brother.

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Author's Note: _Whew! Now to plan out those major Akatsuki battles. Yay for cute little Kyuubi-chan! Thank you so much for reading and for all the reviews! Please look forward to the next chapter!_


	35. Chapter 35

_Author's Note: Thank you thank you thank you for your patience. This chapter took me a month just to put together from research to planning to finally writing out and checking over. Anyhow, I hope it was worth the wait for all of my wonderful readers who make this effort worth it. It's so great to finally write this major chapter since I came up with the idea for it almost two years ago. Hurrah for American democracy (of course I voted!), Happy Belated Halloween, and have a great Thanksgiving everyone! _

* * *

All The Difference 35

"Sasori," Temari said in recognition.

Maya and Kankuro gasped while Gaara looked up with interest.

"Sasori?" Gaara asked.

"Yes, the legendary puppeteer master from Sunagakure. Chiyo-baasama has told Kankuro and me all about him. She anticipated that we would have to face him. He is her grandson. His skills as a puppeteer are…" she threw Kankuro a meaningful glance, "…unmatched."

Kankuro closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. When they opened, he said, "I wish I could have the honor of fighting him one on one, but there's a clear disparity between our abilities. I wouldn't stand a chance."

"There's not one among us that would stand a chance alone against him," Temari alleviated her brother's bruised ego.

"We're all Chuunin here save for Coyote over there. Chuunin going against the strongest S-Class criminals in the world. Any one of the Akatasuki would be difficult if not impossible for us to overcome, and there're four of them," Sakura added nodding in the direction of the Akatsuki.

"Neh, Shikamaru?" Naruto verbally nudged his old friend.

"Tsunade has briefed me on what intelligence we have of them. The bulky one is Sasori as Temari has already pointed out. The blonde one is Deidara from the Iwagakure (Village Hidden Among Rocks). The one with the giant sword is Hoshigaki Kisame of the Kirigakure (Village Hidden in Mist). And, of course, there's Uchiha Itachi formerly of Konohagakure," Shikamaru's eyes glanced at Sasuke who tensed up even more at the mention of his brother's name. "We don't know much else regarding their abilities."

"We will deal with Sasori," Temari ordered. "He is from our village and thus our responsibility. We are also most familiar with his attacks."

"Alright," Shikamaru glanced at Temari with a hint of worry hidden behind his serious eyes, "you four are probably best equipped to deal with him. The rest of you, break up into this formation. Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Ino, and Shino will go after Deidara. Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, Choji and myself will face Hoshigaki Kisame. Sasuke, you will take on your brother with Sakura, Chingis and Lluvia. Since the enemy capabilities are largely unknown, I've teamed us off based on balance of abilities as well as teamwork history. I don't know what to do with the Ashigakure nin however…"

"Easy," Coyote interjected, "We will clean house in the mountain caves with the kids." Already the other of the Ashigakure nin were standing protectively around the jinchuriki children. The children would be prized targets for the Akatsuki to re-abduct, and their protection was paramount.

"What of me?" Kyuubi added.

Shikamaru looked down at the world's more destructive demon not quite sure what to do with his offer to help. He had heard plenty a horror story of the time when the nine-tailed fox had attacked Konohagakure.

"Kyuubi-chan, you're with us," Naruto answered for Shikamaru. It was both a gesture of their friendship and bond as well as a logical course of action. No one knew the dangerous Kyuubi better than Naruto. Kyuubi nodded in agreement.

"Alright! What are we waiting for?"

Amongst the remaining Akatsuki there was also talk.

"It would be pointless to take the jinchuuriki back into custody without the proper extraction apparatus. This is a fine opportunity to investigate their skills and abilities," the sharingan user amongst them said as his eyes focused in on his own younger sibling. "Though still young, they are already showing the potential of formidable future nin. If by chance any of them are killed now, it would save us trouble later on."

"I agree," said Sasori in a rough, grinding voice from behind his mask. He was a massive creature, round and hunched with cruel looking amber eyes and menacingly sharp hair. "They would be wonderful additions to my collection. So many different abilities wasted. I would make better use of them."

"What about the nine-tail?" Kisame asked, his blue-gray skin and the gill slits under his eyes making his characteristically thin-lipped smile look extra threatening.

"In the worst case scenario, if it decides to use its ultimate destructive power, we should flee. We may be able to survive it, but why risk the possibility of being unproductive for a year while in recovery?" Itachi said.

"True," Deidara said, smiling slyly from behind the cover of his blond locks, "and I've been itching to hone my art some more in somewhat of a challenging battle. I wouldn't mind a little demonic…explosion."

"It's begun," Sasori observed. The Ashigakure nin and their young moved towards the cave opening as the Leaf and Sand nin headed for the Akatsuki.

"Good," Itachi said as he turned and took off. The other three, still standing their ground, were not at all surprised at Itachi's retreat.

Sasuke's teeth ground against each other even harder as he watched his brother turn and run away from him.

_What is he doing?!_

He could not control the infuriation that welled up inside of him at the sight of his brother turning and running. There was a mixture of so many emotions that he was compelled to run after him. He quickened his speed, burst to the head of the pack, and ran straight towards the other Akatsuki.

"Sasuke! Wait!" Sakura yelled. If he reached them first, the three would easily annihilate him. The rest of the group tried to match Sasuke's speed, tried to catch up to him, but it was too late. Sasuke came within the three Akatsuki's attack range first.

A long, spine-sectioned tail emerged from behind Sasori like the large stinger of a scorpion, its tip obviously dripping with a deadly poison. It careened up and then forward, flying towards Sasuke, but instead of striking him, it flew over his head and went for Sakura who jumped aside only just in time to avoid the lethal strike. The venomous stinger struck into the rock under them, and Sakura took the chance to punch the gathered chakra in her fist down on Sasori's strange appendage. Three of the spine sections crumbled, and the stinger fell to the ground.

Sakura looked back up just in time to watch incredulously as Sasuke ran between the three Akatsuki unharmed. A new sense of alarm widened her turquoise eyes as she realized they were _letting_ him pass as he chased after his brother.

"WATCH OUT!"

Sakura turned to the sound of Temari's voice only to see the venomous stinger she had just disembodied come flying towards her face. She moved to avoid but realized in that split second she wasn't going to make it; she was going to be grazed by the poisonous tip. A gust of powerful wind blew past her at the last moment. The stinger stayed fairly steady despite the wind, but it was just enough turbulence to take it off its mark. Sakura was unscathed. The stinger reconnected with the remaining spine segments of Sasori's scorpion tale, ready for the next attack.

"Arigato!" Sakura said to Temari who was now standing by her side.

"Sasori," Gaara's voice came out low and steady but loud and clear, "I, Kazekage of Sunagakure, demand that you surrender yourself as an S-Class criminal from Sand and pay for your crimes."

Sasori watched with his cruel eyes as the Sand Siblings lined up to face him. Kankuro had his hands at the ready on the large scrolls strapped to his back that contained the summons for his puppets. Temari's large fan fully spread and held like a graceful battle axe up by her head with a strong arm, and the sand from Gaara's gourd was seeping out like steam. Next to him stood a young girl with brown eyes and long silky hair that Sasori didn't know. He noted the protective manor it which Gaara stood slightly in front of her.

"Hm…" Sasori growled vaguely, unimpressed by the Kazekage's demand.

An explosion to her left took Sakura's attention off of the Sand conflict. Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Ino and Shino were already engaged in battle with Deidara who had taken flight on the back of what looked like a large clay sculpture of an owl. The explosions came from tiny clay-sculpted spiders that were crawling up all over the rocks and nin-alike. It was all Naruto and his team could do at the moment to keep the spiders from blowing up and off parts of their bodies.

The large stone platform where the jinchuriki had been tied up suddenly filled completely with water at the will of Hoshigaki Kisame who was promptly pursued by Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, Choji, and Shikamaru.

"STOP! DON'T TOUCH THE WATER!" Lluvia screamed. A powerful current had swept Chinggis away, and the Konaha nin had been stopped just before they stepped onto the water by Lluvia's warning. They quickly noticed the heavy electrical charge sparking at the tips of the turbulent waves in the water. Any contact would have fried them all instantly. Lluvia instantly set to work on controlling the waters to return Chinggis safely to her side again.

Sakura looked back at Sasuke who was still pursuing the retreating Itachi up the steep mountainside back at the two other jinchuuriki that Shikamaru had assigned to her group and realized they would probably make a defeat of Kisame more expedient with the special abilities. Plus, she knew if she hesitated any more, she would lose sight of the two Uchiha brothers over the mountain, and although she knew Sasuke would gladly face Itachi one on one, she was not so glad to accept that arrangement. She set off after Sasuke and Itachi without Lluvia and Chinggis.

"Kyuubi-chan!" Naruto yelled out as he dodged one exploding spider after another.

"What?" the tiny Kyuubi fox replied in a deeply annoyed voice. A spider exploded right in his face and didn't even leave a scratch. Kyuubi blinked in mild irritation.

"Can't you just 'bang boom' and defeat them?"

Kyuubi rolled his eyes.

"No, I can't just 'bang boom' and defeat them."

"Why not?" Naruto knocked a white clay spider off his arm just before it exploded.

"Because I can't control who I kill if I use my strength. I'm not like you, you know. I never trained my chakra and strength use to be precise. It never mattered to me to hit one target and not another. It was always just 'Kyuubi smash!' and that's it. So unless you're ready to let yourself and everyone else here die, I suggest you figure out something else."

"Geez! Why are you so useless?" Naruto gave the nine-tailed demon a dry look as he dodged another explosion.

"Me useless? You should stop depending on me and use your own strength," Kyuubi shot back.

"Okay okay, whatever. Well, I guess we'll have to use your 'bang boom' as a last resort then."

"You know, I think it would strike more fear in the hearts of our enemies if you called my ultimate attack something else besides 'bang boom'."

Deidara flew overhead observing his pursuers with great interest, his cyber-optics zeroing in on one after another of the nins. "Maa...let's see what they do. My art is restive. It needs new…material." He smiled sadistically.

Hinata, with Byakuugan fully activated, gave Shino a sharp nod of the head. He acknowledged her wordless communication.

"So…" Shino muttered to himself behind the over-sized collar that covered the bottom half of his face, "he likes spiders huh? Mushi Yose no Jutsu (Bug Gathering Technique)!" A thin, practically invisible web of chakra extended from his body, and, if anyone was looking, they would have noticed the slight stirring that began under the pebbles, dirt, and debris of broken plant matter. A cloud of all types of winged insects from wasps to beetles and even winged ants formed around Shino as a buzzing and fluttering whirlwind, and then it started to grow, rise, and stretch up into the sky towards Deidara.

The blonde Akatsuki's hands were already in his pouch, the eerie mouths on each hand chewing away at the material in preparation for sculpting. The two unearthly, teethed orifices on his hands spit out the clay, and Deidara proceeded to mold them with his skilled fingers.

"Art," he said out loud to no one in particular, "is the ability to create the right piece at the right time… and to do it with a BANG!"

At that last exclamation, he let fly out of his hands what looked like a hundred mid-sized birds all made of clay and sculpted with Deidara's signature style. They began to shoot through the oncoming whirlwind of insects with beaks wide open, crushing one batch of bugs after another while swallowing them or letting their remains fall to the ground below. All the while, Deidara's owl flew higher and higher, circling like a real bird of prey.

Then, surprising to everyone but Shino and Hinata, all of the clay birds and spiders suddenly began to falter and then lose their structure and shape. They started to fall to the ground, splattering against the mountain rock harmlessly without even a sizzle or spark as evidence of their explosiveness just seconds earlier.

Naruto looked carefully down at one pile of melted clay that fell near him and saw what looked like oversized fleas crawling out of the white matter. It was then he understood what had happened. Shino's Destruction Bugs had been spread out and masked by all the other bugs, and then they ravenously drained all of the clay sculptures of the chakra they were infused with. Without the controlling chakra, the clay was no longer under Deidara's control.

"Yahoooo! One massive order of Destruction Bugs—served!" Kiba yelled up exuberantly as he and an oversized Akamaru jumped up in unison. "Next dish, Soutourou (Two-Headed Wolf) with Garouga (Dual Wolf Fang) Kiba-Aka specialty style!"

With a deft forming of a seal, young man and giant nin-dog were quickly engulfed in the poof of a large cloud, and when it dissipated, it revealed an enormous, white two-headed wolf. It landed with a loud crunch as its claws dug into the solid stone beneath as if they were just layers of eggshells. Then the hell-dog leapt up into the sky and began to drill through the air as a blinding-white, spinning inverted tornado straight towards the flying target. It was quite breathtaking to watch the pair close the distance between the ground and the airborne Deidara in a matter of seconds.

"This is your unlucky day," Kisame said loudly with a sharp-toothed grin spread across his light blue face. "Goshokuzame (Water Release: Five Eating Sharks)!"

The waves of the water started to rise and crash, and over their crests emerged five colossal great white sharks formed out of the water itself. They shot forward backed by an enormous tsunami tidal wave.

Lluvia took a few steps ahead of her group. Team Guy along with Choji, Shikamaru, and Chinggis watched in awe as she looked up at the attacking sharks as if she were beholding a beautiful sunset and not an onslaught of razor-sharp sharks and killer tsunami. Her long dark hair, which was tied up in a high pony tail, whipped in the wind stirred up by battle, and she raised a hand and held it with the palm facing out towards the jutsu that was about to crash into her and her comrades. Then she said almost inaudibly, "Stop."

The entire mass of water suddenly froze in place. There was not a single ripple or drop unchecked. Even the spraying mist stopped in midair. In one move, she had negated all of Kisame's water release techniques. As Lluvia's hand dropped, so did the entire mass of water in a loud liquid fall, and in just seconds it was a serene mountain lake scene with little evidence of the destructive power that was there only moments before.

"Hoh…" Kisame raised an eyebrow as the corner of his mouth curled up in a half smile. "Omoshiro (amusing)."

His hand reached back and pulled the large Samehada sword from behind him.

"Lluvia, are you able to immobilize him like you did to me in the exams?" Chinggis asked.

"No. I have been trying. Apparently he has complete control over the water contained in his own body. But I am able to negate any of his manipulations of water outside of his own body."

"He has an exorbitant amount of chakra in his body," Neji added with his byakuugan activated.

"Yosh! Taijitsu it is then!" Lee exclaimed with a big smile.

"Sou sou, springtime of youth and all that right?" Tenten said with a laugh at her long time teammate as she held her hands up and a series of kunai appeared in her hands.

"You bet!" Lee said with thumbs up.

"Nikudan Sensha (Human Cannon Ball)!" Choji expanded to the size of a large boulder and began spinning his way over the water towards Kisame. The rest of his team followed his lead. Choji reached Kisame first, who struck at the oncoming human ball with his Samehada. He smiled sadistically as the sharp scales of his own sword jutted out of the bandaged folds ready the skin Choji alive. Kunai suddenly appeared all over Choji's rounded body with sharp ends out. When he met the Samehada's countless tiny blades, the bell-like clinks of metal against metal filled the air. Kisame struck upwards, hitting Choji up into the air like a softball tossed up for a hit. That was what Kisame had planned to do as he held his giant sword back in a batting position, but as Choji fell, Kisame suddenly realized he was unable to move. That was when he looked up and saw Shikamaru standing quite calmly on the waterfront with his shadow firmly connected to his own. Shikamaru had extended his shadow jutsu using Choji's shadow while his best friend had distracted their target with his attack.

"Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu (Shadow Neck Bind Technique)."

Kisame's shadow began to stretch up over his body, reaching for his neck. Then the shadow faltered. It receded, stretched forward, and then receded some more. Only the bottom half of Kisame's body as well as his Samehada were held in place by Shikamaru's kage technique, and even that hold was diminishing with every second.

"Mendokuse (Troublesome)," Shikamaru muttered as he realized Kisame's immense chakra was fighting quite effectively against his own chakra based technique.

"Konoha Daisenpu (Leaft Great Whirlwind)!" Rock Lee came speeding like light with a twirling kick with one leg than another coming down hard on Kisame's head. Kisame's head hung down for a moment as if he had been knocked out, but he quickly looked up with a smirk on his face.

"Maybe we need a sharper approach! Soryu Tensakai (Dragon Scattering Destruction)!" Tenten launched up in the air and unfurled her massive scroll. Sharp edged weapons of all sorts hailed down on Kisame. His formidable figure disappeared behind the veil of falling buki, and it seemed certain that he had been reduced to shreds by the attack. However, when the sky cleared of Tenten's jutsu, Kisame was still standing where he was, not a scratch on his blue skin though his coat had been shredded up quite thoroughly. The ripped up Akatsuki coat fell to the water and strips of it floated away. Kisame was left wearing what looked like a heavy set and thick black wetsuit of some sort with a dark blue utility vest and silver utility belt around his waist.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho (Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)!"

Blurring suddenly into sight right in front of Kisame's gilled face, Neji, his pose both graceful and powerful, landed the first of 128 strikes that aimed to close all his target's chakra points.

Karasu and Kuroari started off the attack on Sasori under Kankuro's control, each jumping up high in the air above the bulky Akatsuki raining a massive amount of poison tipped needles as they spun over their target. The needles embedded themselves all over Sasori's coat, making him look gruesomely comical like a large pin cushion. Suddenly, all the needles that had been thrown at him exploded outwards and flew towards the Sand siblings and Maya. With a wave of her fan, Tenmari was able to clear the onslaught on herself and Kankuro. Those that went towards Gaara and Maya were embedded quickly in a half shell barrier made from his ultimate defense sand. Sasori's Akatsuki coat, also ripped to shreds, now fell to the ground revealing a large man on all fours with a large red, demon mask protecting his back and the sectioned scorpion tail coming out of the mask's mouth like a madman's lolling tongue.

"That's his puppet armor," Temari said. "Sasori's real body must be protected inside."

"Then I suppose we must first remove the armor," Gaara said almost matter-of-factly. His chakra infused sand advanced towards Sasori.

The armor puppet's forearm clicked open and another flurry of needles came at them, except now they were tipped with a possibly deadlier poison than the ones Kankuro's came with. Gaara's sand was kept busy blocking the needles which seem to come endlessly. Behind him, Maya took the opportunity to cloak herself in a genjutsu that was her family's specialty. If anyone was looking, they would have thought their eyes were playing some strange visual trick as the young Sunagakure chuunin faded into total invisibility.

Gaara, feeling that Maya's presence behind him was gone, turned his head to look, and, with panic in his eyes, saw that she indeed was no longer there. As he turned back to look at their opponent, his panic mounted when he saw Maya suddenly appear right next to Sasori with a long sword raised for a strike. Sasori's armor puppet head only had time to look up and acknowledge Maya with its cruel eyes before her sword fell and severed the needle shooting arm of the puppet. The poisonous scorpion tail point struck at Maya who disappeared out of sight again. It struck the ground where Maya had stood, and the next thing Sasori knew, his armor puppet was totally paralyzed. The armor puppet began to tremble; the sickening sound of its creaking joints resembled the breaking of bones. Gaara, instinctively in his panic, had sent all of his self defense sand towards Sasori when he saw Maya appear next to him. His sand had filled into every nook and cranny and joint to be found in the puppet and held it all in place. Cracks formed all over Sasori's external puppet, and then it exploded from the inside out, the pieces of puppet wood scattering like a shattered children's toy.

Maya reappeared at his side, and Gaara's sand returned to them, swirling around himself and Maya protectively.

In the settling of the dust and rubble from Sasori's broken puppet, Gaara and his siblings saw a small, dark mound on the ground like a baby swaddled in a blanket. Then the mound stirred and slowly rose to a standing position.

"This can't be possible…" Temari said in astonishment as the figure that stood before them emerged from a dispersing cloud of dust. It was a young boy with short, soft pink hair falling innocently around his face. "Sasori…has to be at least 35 years old by now…but he looks exactly like the picture Chiyo oba-sama showed me. He hasn't aged a day in 20 years?!"

"Sa…It's been a long time…since I've used myself." The young boy's voice sounded menacingly cold, and its youthful tone only served to make him seem more unnatural.

Ino quickly ran towards Kiba and Akamaru with her hands glowing with healing chakra as the dog and young man fell to the ground after their massive attack. Their Garouga had served as an efficient conduit for a batch of Shino's Destruction Bugs up to their enemy target. Deidara smiled with amusement as he watched chunks of his large clay owl start to fall off as the chakra consuming insects feasted off of his chakra infused clay.

"If I use my Karura bomb, Sasori no danna (Master Sasori) may become upset at loosing the chance to add you all to his collection," he said as he looked around at the progress of the battles around him. To him, the test battle was working out just nicely. They had been able observe many of the skills of the young nin. That data would be stored away and analyzed as Akatsuki went about re-planning. Regrouping would happen soon. Akatsuki domination was just a matter of time. "Time to end this little get together."

"What's he doing?" Naruto asked out loud. He and Kyuubi-chan along with the others in their current battle team watched as Deidara held out a medium sized clay figure out in front of him. From where they stood on the ground, they couldn't make out what this new sculpture looked like. The figure floated away from his hands and expanded in size by about 500 times. It was a large, round structure shaped kind of like a large rain drop, and it had a small head and pair of guiding wings sprouting from the top, narrower end of its form. It was the size of a large 5 story building by the time it stopped growing.

"BOMB!" Hinata yelled as she looked at Naruto with wide, panic-stricken byakuugan-activated eyes. It was clear that the explosion from this newest specialty explosive would kill everyone on the mountain side.

Naruto looked up from Hinata to the gargantuan explosive and then back at his beloved. Then he looked at his comrades fighting the other Akatsuki criminals. His breathing seemed to slow as did the events all around him. He could feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Finally, he looked at Kyuubi who looked at him with concerned eyes, and then Naruto raised his arms to Kyuubi-chan bidding the little fox to jump into his arms.

Kyuubi immediately understood what Naruto was asking him to do. The little red fox jumped from the top of a rock where he was perched and straight into Naruto's awaiting arms. Deidara's massive bomb began its descent.

Naruto was directly below the dropping bomb, and as the bomb fell, an immense flow of dark blue chakra shot upwards from Naruto's body. The dark blue chakra was a mix of both Kyuubi and Naruto's chakra, and it struck the bomb, slowing its fall, and then spread up and wide forming a large dome with its opening pointed up like a large bowl. The bomb's fall slowed down, and just when the falling momentum of the bomb and the upward push of the dark blue chakra cancelled each other out, Deidara's voice seemed to echo in the still air of the moment, "Katsu."

The bomb broke into a white, blinding explosion. Everyone below had to cover their eyes from the bright, piercing light.

When they opened their eyes and the dust and smoke began to clear, they looked back up into the sky to the place where the bomb had been, but all they saw was the dispersal of the chakra shield that Naruto and Kyuubi-chan had created together. Then they noticed something else that caused them great vexation—the three Akatsuki they had all been battling with were gone, too.

Sasuke had just jumped over a huge rock formation that jutted out of the mountainside as he chased after his brother. The blinding light from the battle behind him had slowed him, but he was sure Itachi couldn't have gone far away. In fact, he was sure Itachi was waiting for him on the other side of the rock, that he had run to pull Sasuke into a one on one battle with him, and as his eyes readjusted to the darkness of the shade on the other side of the rock formation, he saw his brother there, standing calmly with the bottom half of his face hidden behind the large collar of his Akatsuki coat, his eyes already red with spinning black blades within them. Sasuke's eyes changed to match, the red sharingan and swirling black dots staring fiercely back at the mangekyo.

"SASUKE!"

The sound of Sakura's voice had never filled Sasuke's heart with so much dread. Even though he was still staring straight at Itachi, his eyes widened with horror as he knew that Sakura had just come over the rock formation after him.

"Tsukiyomi."

Though Sasuke was still a ways away from his brother, he heard Itachi's steady, monotone voice as clearly as if he had spoken straight into his ear, and it was with great difficulty that he was able to hold back the drowning panic that threatened to wash over him.

Everything in his sight suddenly shifted in coloration, and it looked like the world was suddenly only visible through the distorted view of photo film negatives. Sasuke was expecting for a third time the sight of the Uchiha clan slaughter, but instead he stood staring at a plain empty landscape. Itachi still stood the same distance away from him, and he seemed to be standing on black water as liquid ripples circled out from where he stood. Sasuke looked down at his own feet and saw that he seemed to be standing on water, too, as dark water ripples spread out from where his feet were apparently coming into contact with the "ground". But he saw something else that made his eyes twitch with terror. In the liquid surface he saw a reflection of something, something white and pink and angular that rolled with the ripples made by his feet.

Sasuke spun around to look at the source of that reflection, and his heart just about imploded at the sight he beheld. There was Sakura iron-clamped to a thick white cross. She struggled to get free, but there was no budging the restraints that held her.

Sasuke moved to jump up to her and tear the cross she was on to splinters, but a vine slid out of the watery surface he stood on and wound quickly around one of his ankles. It was joined quickly by a few more, and they wrapped around his arms, legs and torso rendering him immobile. He pulled against them, but it was like pulling against a rubber prison; they would let him move only so much and then pull him back as if they were torturously teasing him with a false hope for freedom.

"Sasuke…you still are not strong enough."

Itachi was standing by Sasuke's side looking up at a trapped Sakura. He pulled an unsheathed sword calmly from the folds of his large black coat and held it up with the sharp point directed towards Sakura, the shifting clink of the metal. Sakura stared resolutely at the blade that accosted her. Sasuke could hear his heart beat echoing as if it were far away and trying to reach his chest.

"What do I have to do to make you stronger?"

Itachi stabbed the point into Sakura's stomach. She let out a muted cry of pain as the shocking sensation of the piercing of her flesh spread throughout her body and made her mind almost black out. Almost.

"NOOO! STOP! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HER!" Sasuke could not stave off the emotions overwhelming his senses, and he was drowning in his own panic.

"You are still not strong enough," Itachi coldly repeated. Suddenly, there were two Itachi, one standing on either side of Sasuke, each holding an identical blade pointing at Sakura. Sasuke looked up and saw that the wound in Sakura had disappeared and then jerked forward as two blades now stabbed her in the abdomen. Sakura cried out on pain.

"STOP! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT! JUST LET HER GO!" Sasuke yelled in a shrill voice.

"Then become stronger. Become stronger and stop me."

The two Itachi pulled their blades out and stabbed Sakura again in a different location. Sakura cried out again, and tears streamed down from her eyes as a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes shut as she bore the onslaught.

"NOOOOOOO!" Sasuke screamed, a wild look spreading across his face. He pulled against the vines, and again they pulled him back. He repeated this a number of times, the fruitlessness of his efforts only succeeded in driving him more insane.

Then there were four figures of his brother, all with the same blades in their hands, all pointed at Sakura. The many Itachi stabbed again. Sakura cried out. Sasuke continued to scream out for his brother to stop. Itachi continued to tell him to become stronger. Blades were pulled, new wounds were stabbed, and the cycle began anew.

Sasuke finally fell to his knees in front of Sakura sobbing and in tears.

"Gomen Sakura…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry I'm not strong enough…" Sasuke sputtered out between his sobs, tears spilling continuously down his face as he looked up at her with his face full of anguish. Eight blades where pulled out of Sakura. Eight blades were stabbed anew into her flesh. She screamed. All around them mirror images of what was happening multiplied the exponential torture. A red moon presided over it all.

"Sasuke…" Sakura's voice came out weak and trembling.

"I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry…" was all Sasuke could manage in response with his head hanging down as he sobbed.

"Sasuke…nothing…could hurt me more than losing you…" she managed to say before an onslaught of 16 blades stabbed her and caused her to scream out again.

Sasuke cried out with her, both in empathy for her pain and to drown out the terrifying sound of her screams. Their dual screams echoed off each other.

"Sasuke…look at me…" Sakura breathed hard, trying to keep her sanity and consciousness together. His red sharingan eyes looked up to meet the calm blue of her turquoise ones.

"Sasuke…you're still here with me…you came back…with me…that's all I need…I love you…" she said as a weak smile brightened her tormented countenance.

As he looked up at her, the aqua blues of her eyes and the pink of her hair seemed to envelope his spirit, the glow of her smile seemed to bring a bit of paradise's light into the dreary negatives of the tsukiyomi hell.

Then, Sasuke understood.

His sharingan began to swirl in one direction, and then stopped slowly and began in the opposite direction. He saw it all right there in front of him...the Uchiha Ougi…and he understood. And then he grew in power without desiring power.

He saw the beauty of his own soul in Sakura's smile, in the warmth of his mother, in the watchful eye of his father, in the strength of his brother, in his many friendships, and in the blue skies and green leaves of Konoha. The glow around Sakura's face began to spread like an expanding halo, and as it touched the hell around it, the distorted negatives gave way to the flowing and healing colors of Sasuke's soul. The detestable cross that bound Sakura suddenly sprouted branches, roots, and leaves, and as she was released, she floated down into his out-stretched arms, all the wounds she had just suffered and the torment on her face fading away. The feel of her solid body in his arms further strengthened his counter genjutsu, and the multiple Itachi began to fade away as well until there was only one left that stood next to the young couple. All around them blue skies, sparkling rivers, and soothing forests manifested, blinding out the red moon until it disappeared completely.

Itachi moved to stab at the couple, but as he thrust his sword forward, the blade disappeared, and all he was holding was the hilt. He threw it aside, and it too faded out of existence. With Sakura still firmly in his embrace, Sasuke looked at his brother with eyes that had a calm, peace, and understanding that reached far beyond his years. The Uchiha Ougi set to work.

The elder of the surviving Uchiha brothers slightly tilted his head quizzically to the side as his mangekyo sharingan tried to analyze what was happening. He had gone from a situation where he was totally in control to a situation where he was totally out of control. It was both surprising and intriguing to him.

Sasuke and Sakura suddenly grew taller than him, but then he looked down at his own tiny hands and realized that it was he who had shrunk.

"Itachi, don't forget your lunch." He turned around to look up into the loving eyes of his slain mother. She gave him a warm hug and kiss on the cheek, and in that moment, his mind was filled with all the memories he had of her. She smiled tenderly and then faded away.

Itachi looked down at the ground and noticed that it was farther away and he had grown taller. When he looked back up, he was staring at the stern face of his father.

"Excellent Itachi. As is expected from a child of mine," his father said approvingly as he put a firm hand on Itachi's shoulder. Again, Itachi's mind was flooded with memories of his father, and then his father faded away.

Itachi looked down again at his hands that were now big and strong again. Then he felt a weight on his back, and when he reached his hands behind himself to see what was there, his hands held onto the legs of a small boy who was piggy backed on him.

"Ne, Oniisan (elder brother), when are you going to train with me again?"

Sasuke's little pouting face that so mirrored his own peeked over his shoulder as small arms wrapped securely around his neck. Itachi turned to look into Sasuke's young and innocent eyes from so long ago and a tear stole down his weary cheek as he remembered the first day he saw Sasuke as an infant and all that followed after.

Then the pleasant, open-spaced world swirled into an enclosed one. Itachi was sitting amongst his clan members, his father and mother both present. A hum of discussion floated through the room. The present day Sasuke stood still with Sakura in his arms, his sharingan still swirling bright as he listened to the ensuing conversation in the room. Then the room faded, and Itachi was now standing on a tall telephone pole that overlooked the entire Uchiha clan neighborhood. Blood stained the ground and bodies lay everywhere, and in Itachi's hand was a bloody sword. Sasuke listened to his brother's breathing, his sharingan and the Ougi of his clan still at work.

Finally, everything dissipated, and they were free of the genjutsu, both Itachi's and Sasuke's. Sakura was actually in Sasuke's arms but she slumped from exhaustion from the torture she had endured. She was suddenly heavier in his arms.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began his question but was cut off.

"I'm alright, Sasuke, just a little tired," Sakura whispered.

His attention was next drawn to a thudding sound, and he looked up to see that Itachi had fallen to his knees and sat in a slump. In his large Akatsuki coat, he looked like a rag doll whose strings had just been cut. Sasuke also noticed that his brother's cheek was wet with tears, and for the first time in his life, he understood his brother. The Uchiha Ougi had allowed him the ultimate, most thorough analysis of an individual's soul.

"SASUKE!"

Naruto's voice broke through his contemplation.

"Oi, Naruto, everything's okay."

His yellow haired friend scrambled down the rock formation that had separated them, and he was followed by Hinata, Kyuubi, and the rest of the Konoha and Suna nin.

"Sakura, is she…" Naruto asked with concern in his eyes.

"She just went through a lot, but she's fine," Sasuke said. Hinata and Ino stepped up quickly, helped Sakura off of Sasuke, and lay her gently down on the ground. The two quickly set to work healing her.

"What about him?" Naruto asked as he looked at the slumped, sitting form of Uchiha Itachi.

Sasuke gave his brother another contemplative look before answering, "He…He won't give us anymore trouble."

Naruto's big blue eyes widened in amazement. "You killed him?"

Sasuke gave a weary shake of the head, "No, nothing so merciful I'm afraid."

His spiky haired friend raised an eyebrow, "Then what did you do?"

Sasuke heaved a sigh as if to open up his lungs for air that wouldn't go in as easily as usual. "I defeated him with the Uchiha Clan's Ougi. It negated his Mangekyo Sharingan and the Tsukiyomi technique. In fact, he no longer has the Mangekyo Sharingan nor the ability to execute the Tsukiyomi any longer. Even his sharingan ability has been greatly reduced."

"Uchiha…Clan…Ougi?" Naruto spelled out slowly as if that would help him understand it better.

Sasuke nodded wearily. Though thoroughly intrigued, Naruto decided he would ask Sasuke more about it later. He wondered why his close friend and teammate looked thoroughly defeated even though he had clearly won the battle with his brother.

"Come on," Naruto put a solid, reassuring hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's go home."

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope I described the different epic scenes enough for you to enjoy the visuals that I see in my own head when I imagine the story. There was so much epic action in this chapter that I hope I did it justice! There's a few more chapters coming up as the denouement to wrap things up AND to set things up for the upcoming part III which will be called Chibi Legends...hmmm...how much should I share about what's coming up? __Well, let me just say that some questions will be asked, some bells will ring, and some new legends will be born ^ __^ Next chapter...a battle between Naruto and Sasuke?!?! Um...don't get too excited actually...Naruto vs. the Uchiha Ougi is kind of unpredictable. Please look forward to it!_

_Side Note: Please check out brand spanking new Random Ninjas music debuting in December! Ninjas unite!_


	36. Chapter 36

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read this story from prequel to beginning to end! I'm also thankful for your patience as I tried to get out new chapters as often as possible despite a hectice work and project schedule. This is the final chapter of this story, and it's just some closure with some NaruHina and SasuSaku fluff that finishes this story and preps for the next and last in the series: Chibi Legends. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much again for reading! Every single reader made this story worth all the time it's taken to write it, and I'm so glad I could share the fun of writing it with so many people!_

* * *

All The Difference Final Chapter

"Uchiha Itachi will be confined in mountain penal facility."

Tsunade's voice was as strong and authoritative as ever, filling every corner of the Hokage office. The debriefing had been going on for about two hours, and the room was filled with all of the Konoha chuunin that had been sent on the mission to rescue Naruto, including Naruto himself.

"It's the proper detainment for an S-Class criminal, although he will not be placed in deep mountain confinement since the information he has disclosed to us about the Akatsuki have all proven to be true and accurate. We've been able to seriously cripple their network, operations, and resources as a result. Unfortunately, we've been unable to capture the head Akatsuki members themselves," Tsunade said, looking down and then closing her eyes as the gravity of the situation set in. Her eyes reopened with a piercing look that shot through all of them. "We will continue pursuing them, but I'm afraid this particular mission, the mission to take down the Akatsuki once and for all, will but a difficult one that will carry on for a long time to come."

The chuunin understood what Tsunade meant. As the next generation bearers of the torch of Konoha, they may have to be the ones to take down the Akatsuki and needed to prepare for it both mentally and physically.

"Dismissed."

The young nin filed out of the office and were spilling out onto the tan colored streets below. This was their first day back after returning the night before from their long journey from the Sunagakure and before that the mountain fortress of the Akatsuki. They had saved Naruto and the other jinchuriki, thwarted a major Akatsuki undertaking, and come back all accounted for. They felt relieved more than anything else, and the peace of the beautiful blue skies over a green and bustling Konoha was more precious to them than ever. Their friendly chatter filled the air with their hopeful youth and strong spirits, and soon they were beginning to break off into smaller groups to head off in separate directions.

Leave it to Naruto to change all of that.

"SASUKE!!! I CHALLENGE YOU!!!!"

Every eye turned to look at the number one surprising ninja of Konoha. Then they turned to look at Sasuke's response.

"No."

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and turned to walk away, but Naruto wouldn't take no for an answer. He skidded to a stop in front of Sasuke, blocking his way.

"YES!"

"Aren't you tired of fighting Naruto? I mean, we just got back," he said with a infuriatingly nonchalant attitude topped with a shrug of the shoulders. Sakura couldn't help but smile as she remembered how upset Sasuke had been when they were younger, around their first Chuunin exams, and Naruto seemed to be getting stronger than him. She had literally almost killed herself to stop them fighting one time on a rooftop, but now she had no objections. Her two teammates were no longer petty, jealous little boys. They were now mature young men…well, almost.

"I've been waiting patiently the whole trip back and I can't wait anymore! I want to go against your Uchiha Clan Ougi!" Naruto's face was pressed into a forceful frown.

"It's nothing, Naruto," Sasuke said with another shrug of his shoulders. Naruto's frown grew fiercer. He was dying to see what this special clan ultimate attack was, and the truth was, so was everyone else. They tried not to show it on their faces, but inside, they were all willing to disregard their plans and errands for the entire day if it meant finding out, especially if it's through a battle between Naruto and Sasuke.

"Let's go! Out to the open field area!"

"The clan's ougi is really no big deal, Naruto. You're going to be disappointed."

"HOW CAN I BE DISAPPOINTED?!? You defeated an S-Class criminal with it! I mean, granted it was your own brother, but STILL! We were fighting like three or four against an Akatsuki member and were barely holding our own! And you beat one of them BY YOURSELF!" Naruto looked like he was near tearing his hair out. "You heard Tsunade Oba-chan! We have to prepare for them! AND if I'm going to be hokage, I have to be the strongest."

"I never wanted to be hokage," Sasuke shrugged his shoulders again, "so you don't have to worry about that."

"That's not the point! I have to be the strongest! Fight me! Sasuke!" Naruto put his dukes up.

"You're really making a big deal out of nothing."

"FIGHT ME!" He waved his fists some more.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you that it's nothing."

"Out in the field!" Naruto began to head that way already.

"No, there's no need to go out there if you want to see the Uchiha Ougi. We can do this right here."

"In front of the Hokage's office?" Sakura asked with a bit of trepidation. She knew her shishou's temper better than anyone.

"Yeah, it won't take much time or space."

Naruto's eyes went wide with even more interest. Sasuke saw the look on his face and rolled his eyes.

"I'm only doing this because I know you won't stop bugging me about it. You'll see, it's really no big deal."

"I'll be the judge of that," Naruto said as he raised his fists up again to begin, and when he looked up to meet Sasuke's face, he realized that his teammate's sharingan was already activated and spinning with intensity. And that's when the world around him began to melt away.

First, all color disappeared until everything was just blank white, as if he and his opponent, Sasuke, were surrounded by pristine white paper on all sides. Then, colored lines started to streak all around him. As Naruto looked closer at the colored lines, he realized they looked a lot like crayon marks, and discernable shapes began to form. There were some red and blue crayon drawn flowers in a row on green stems. A haphazardly colored blue sky appeared with a bright, swirling yellow sun with orange rays extending from it. Under that cheerful sky was drawn a little brown ramen hut, and at its service window was being drawn a young girl with short, blue hair and white pupil eyes. It was a crayon caricature Hinata, and in her hand was a large, steaming bowl of crayon drawn ramen complete with chasu pork and fish cakes. Then other caricatures of Naruto's friends began to form: Kakashi with his book, Ero Sennin with a pair of binoculars, Tsunade Oba-chan with a bottle of sake, Gaara with his gourd, Sasuke with a glum face, Sakura with a big fist, and so forth.

The crayon drawings began to move with life. The flowers and people started to dance as if they were little paper puppets, the ramen hut swayed in time, and the sun twirled as a friendly, happy tune played in the background as the soundtrack and the drawing of Hinata said, "Hot Ramen! All you can eat!"

At first, Naruto just looked around a little dumbfounded. After all, he had been getting ready for a serious battle against Sasuke. Now he was surrounded by all these happy crayola images, and, being easily amused, he was completely compelled to run around the Hinata ramen shack while laughing and yelling "Yayyyy! Yayyy!" The whole place was like Naruto's own little happy fun land.

Sasuke stood a ways away from him with a large sweat drop forming on his forehead. It was hard for him not to feel extremely embarrassed for his friend, and at the same time, this was exactly what he expected would happen when he used the Uchiha Clan Ougi on Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto suddenly noticed that Sasuke was standing there staring at him with a dry look plastered across his face, and he remembered that he was supposed to be engaged in a death-defying battle with his old number one rival. The joyful mood and look on his face slowly narrowed into a look of suspicion.

"Hey…what is this? Are you making fun of me?" Naruto said as a frown spread across his face.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, put a hand up to cover his eyes, and shook his head.

"No, Naruto, like I told you. The Uchiha Ougi is no big deal. At least not when it's used on someone like you."

"What do you mean someone like me?"

The fanciful little play land world faded away to reveal the real world, and once again, Naruto was standing in front of the Hokage office surrounded by his friends. They were staring at him a little dumbfounded.

"Uh, hey, Naruto, are you okay man?" Kiba asked with real concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"Cuz you were just running around in circles just now yelling 'Yayyy!'" Kiba raised his arms above his head and waved them around tentatively in imitation.

"We thought maybe you'd lost it, that Sasuke's ougi was too powerful and you'd gone insane," Ino added with wide eyes.

"Like I said, the Uchiha Ougi is no big deal, especially not against Uzumaki Naruto."

They all turned to look at Sasuke, silently asking for an explanation with their attentive eyes.

"It's a combination genjutsu and medical ninjitsu 'attack'. When it's used, the sharingan is activated full force using a large amount of chakra for one very difficult task--psychological healing."

"Psychological healing?" Sakura asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, that's the heart of the ougi. The ability to use the heightened analytical abilities of the sharingan to not just confuse the nervous system but to heal it in a fundamental way, sometimes beyond a state of health that it had ever been in."

A silence fell over the group as they tried to understand what Sasuke was saying to them.

"So desu ne (I see)!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed in understanding

"What?! What do you see?!" Naruto asked, for he was probably the farthest of them all from understanding.

"That's why it was so effective against your brother…" Sakura seemed to ponder to herself, ignoring Naruto for a moment before turning to him and explaining.

"You see, people who commit heinous atrocities have to have some sort of mental block that prevents them from fully feeling the impact of their actions. Sometimes it's just the way that they're born, with a deficiency in their neural structure, or the way they were raised, never learning how to feel compassion."

"I see," Hinata picked up from there, "so they can hurt other people and not feel the pain they're inflicting on others."

"Exactly," Sakura confirmed. "A fully aware person can't help be feel empathy. That's what makes it so hard for someone like that to hurt others, because they feel the pain they inflict on others. They really and deeply _feel_ _bad_ when they hurt other people_."_

"Then for a normal person who does feel empathy, they would have to make those mental blocks, or actually, tear down or block off those parts of the mind that feel remorse and compassion. The part that causes them to care for others gets shut down one way or another," Hinata speculated some more.

"And the Uchiha Ougi removes all those blocks, whether a person was born with them, raised with them, or forced themselves to become heartless and unfeeling for whatever reasons," Sasuke finished it off.

"There are few tortures greater than pure, unadulterated remorse," Neji said in a serious tone.

"So the Uchiha Ougi basically gives a person his humanity back and all the responsibility and pain that comes with it?" Rock Lee said.

Sasuke nodded.

"The greater the sin, the greater the remorse. And when you feel enough remorse and regret, you'll be overwhelmed and lose all will to live," Neji spoke knowingly.

"Oh wow, what a mind job," Kiba said running his fingers through his hair in emphasis.

"Exactly," Sasuke confirmed.

"Wait a minute," the thick-headed Naruto was finally coming around, "so you're saying the Uchiha Clan Ougi basically makes people feel bad about what they've done?"

"Basically," Sasuke answered.

"So…how come when you used it on me I saw all these crayon drawings of sunshine, flowers, friends, and ramen? What does that mean?"

Sasuke broke out into an uncharacteristic smile. He couldn't help but be amused by his hard-headed friend's naiveté.

"It means, Naruto, that you've lived your life with absolutely no regrets."

Naruto took a minute to put two and two together.

"And that is why the Uchiha Ougi has absolutely zero effectiveness on you. Except for the fact that you're easily distracted by even low-level genjutsu."

The air filled with the laughter of the young Konoha nin as Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

* * *

The months passed quietly and missions came at went, and the strength of Konoha grew with the maturing abilities of its ripening generation of ninja as well as the flourishing of the up and coming generations below them. The activity level of the Akatsuki was near zero, but the young Konohans knew better than to let their guard down and luxuriate too much in the peaceful times. An ominous cloud still hung in the back of their minds as a reminder that their current peace was always threatened by dark and twisted plans of those without, and their love for their homeland and the deepening of their friendships fueled their determination to become better and stronger every day.

It was on a sunset of one of these many peaceful days that Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata sat on the edge of a small wharf in a modest sized lake surrounded by trees within the confines of Hidden Leaf. They were silently enjoying each other's company along with the lovely colors of the time of day when all things in the world glowed with a natural beauty in the light of a waning sun. The golden waters lapped gently around as a soothing zephyr lightly rustled branches and leaves. Naruto held Hinata's hand tenderly in his own.

"Ne, Naruto," Hinata broke the silence.

"Hm?" Naruto responded with a sort of relaxed sleepiness.

"Do you want to get married?"

That caught his attention.

"Huh?"

Hinata smiled at his mild confusion. She asked again.

"Do you want to get married?"

Since nobody had ever really explained to Naruto what marriage was, he was definitely not sure what the implications of this question really were. But he knew at least that being married meant spending your life with someone.

"Um, aren't we already married?" Naruto sputtered out, testing out his understanding. He had, after all, never planned to live without Hinata.

Hinata giggled.

"Well, I guess in a way we are, because we're together. But there's more to it."

"Oh?" Naruto said, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"If we marry officially, we'll make vows to each other in front of all the people we care about."

"But doesn't everyone already know that we're together?" Naruto said, still trying to understand how an official marriage would change things.

"Yes, but if we make it official, you and I can move in together and--"

"Move in together? You mean live together in the same place?" Naruto said, his ears and eyes suddenly perked with interest. The thought of coming home to Hinata every night and spending even more time together sounded swell to him.

"Yes…"

"Let's get married tonight then!" Naruto said exuberantly.

Hinata's face suddenly blushed crimson.

"Well, that might be a bit of a short notice for everyone…" Hinata said, resisting the urge to nervously twiddle her fingers.

"If we get married tonight," Naruto continued, a bit oblivious to Hinata's sudden shyness, "then you could move in with me tonight, and--" Then something clicked in Naruto's thick head, and he finally noticed Hinata's red face. "Oh, you can use my bed, and I'll sleep on my couch. Don't worry, it's really comfortable on the couch. Sometimes I sleep on it just for fun, and…"

"Um…Naruto…if we're married, then it's okay to…um…sleep in the same bed together," Hinata stuttered out.

At first Naruto looked at her to see if she were pulling some kind of prank on him, but since she only continued to stay red with embarrassment with intensely bashful eyes, he realized it was no joke. Redness spread over his face much the way a thermometer turns red in hot weather.

He could only scratch the back of his head in embarrassment as he laughed, "So desu ka (Is that so)? Ah ha ha ha ha ha…"

Hinata couldn't help but laugh with him, and their nervousness soon faded a bit as they both started genuinely laughing at their own sudden timidity with each other.

Naruto's hand tightened around Hinata's, and he turned to face her.

"I definitely want to marry you Hinata," he said with conviction, and then a goofy smile spread across his face, "but you're right, we should take this slowly."

Hinata giggled, and with red blush still on both of their faces, they leaned in towards each other and kissed tenderly as the sun set.

* * *

On the other side of Konoha, another couple was also enjoying the peaceful ends of the day sitting on some steps in a location overlooking the buildings of the village. It was the location where Team 7 had first introduced themselves to their teacher, where a young girl with pink hair and squealed over a her school girl's crush and a young boy had declared that he lived only to kill a certain man. The two sat there now, grown fully into a centeredness of being, no longer the flighty and confused children of long ago. Here and there on the buildings dotting the view of the village was the symbol of the Uchiha clan which was carried as a legacy by the local village police. The sight reminded the young Uchiha descendent of his plans for the future.

"Ne, Sakura, I was thinking."

"Yah, Wat?" Sakura was crunching down hungrily on a juicy red apple. Her chakra strength attacks required her to constantly nourish herself with highly nutritious foods. Sasuke smiled as her cheeks puffed out with the big bites she was taking out of her apple. She chewed loudly and specks of apple flesh dotted her face as they flew out of her mouth.

"I was wondering if you would help me rebuild the Uchiha clan?"

Sakura swallowed and took another noisy bite out of her apple.

"Ahnt whe ahmost dun fixhing it up?" Sakura responded, referring to their near completion of the rebuilding of the Uchiha clan neighborhood with the occasional help of friends.

"Well, yes, that's my point exactly. It's almost done, and there are no Uchiha clan members to live there."

Sakura finished her chewing and swallowed again.

"Hm, well I've heard from Shishou that your brother has been on very good behavior. They might let him out in the near future. Then maybe he can live in one of the places we've renovated."

She took another loud bite of her apple, reducing the thing to its core.

"Um, I was thinking that you could live there…with me…as my wife."

Sakura stopped chewing and gave him a suspicious look. When she was satisfied that he was totally serious, she finished chewing up her last bite of apple and swallowed again.

"Dame dame (Nope nope), that's no way to ask someone to marry you," she said with a disapproving wave of her apple core which she promptly tossed with excellent aim into a trash can a few yards away.

"So…ka…" Sasuke muttered.

"You make me sound like I'm sort of baby machine. Totally unromantic."

"So…desu…I…I suppose so…" Sasuke stuttered. "Then what's the right way to ask?"

Wiping the flecks of apple and juice off of her face gruffly with the back of her hand, she turned to him and emphatically held up her hand.

"It should go something like 'Sakura, you're everything to me. I can't live without you. Will you marry me?'" she said his parts with a mockingly low voice.

"Oh…" Sasuke could only respond stupidly.

"That's okay. You can try again later. You'll get the hang of it sooner or later," Sakura said giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

She got up and turned to leave. When she passed the first of a row of columns, she began to say, "Let's get something to eat. I've been training all day and I'm starv--" but she was cut off by a hand that rested on her shoulder and pulled her so that her back was against the column. Then, Sasuke's fingers slide lightly under her chin, lifting her face to look up into his, the touch of his fingers to the underside of her chin sending shivers down her spine. He looked profoundly into her turquoise eyes and then stepped forward, and she found herself with back against the column, staring up helplessly into his deep dark eyes. His face was so close to hers that she could almost see the faint reds of the sharingan eyes hidden beneath his dark pupils.

"Sakura," he said, his deep voice that of a steady young man sure of his words, sure of what he wanted, "You're everything to me. I can't live without you."

He moved in even closer.

"Will you marry me?"

Without giving her a chance to answer him, he pressed his lips against hers in a warm and passionate kiss. As he pulled away, he searched her aquamarine eyes for an answer to his question.

First her beautiful eyes crossed, and then they rolled up into her closing eyelids as she fainted.

"Woah, Sakura, are you alright?" he said as he tried to hold up her body that had just gone weak in the knees. He allowed her to gently slide down the column to a sitting position and then gave her cheek a little light slapping to help her regain her consciousness. When she was awake and staring up at him with bewildered eyes, he pressed on.

"Well? How was that?"

"Pretty…pretty good," she said, holding a hand to her heart to steady its intense beating while trying to catch her breath.

"And?"

She looked up at him.

"What?"

"Will you marry me or not?"

"Oh…well, only if you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Give a girl a little warning before you turn on your Sasuke-charms on full blast like that, okay? Jease, almost gave me a heart attack," she said and laughed while holding her hand to her heart with emphasis.

Sasuke laughed. He was glad that whatever charm he had had worked on her.

"No problem," he said, then leaned in close to her again, and they kissed tenderly to seal their agreement.

* * *

The Konoha sun set as these new unions were made with promise, but rest assured, it will always rise again on a new generation of ninja, finding their way on the convoluted path of life, where the simple choices made at every fork in the road will make all the difference in the end.

* * *

Author's Note: COMPLETE! Thank you thank you thank you everyone! Next up: Chibi Legends! Please look forward to it!


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